#I will sing the high note in Rebecca even if it kills me

[waitwtfismylife]

My toxic trait is thinking I can sing any note if I try hard enough.

[margridarnauds]

Scattered Thoughts on Treason: The Musical

[warning for some critical discussion]

The Cold Hard Ground: 

First song I listened to. 

God, we’re getting DARK. This is seriously a mix between a villain song and a hero song, and I’m HERE for it. 

This is the one I’m possibly most interested in, because it’s really making me wonder how they’re going to portray the plotters: Are we going to be seeing them as fanatics, or as heroes, or somewhere in-between? In this song, it looks like Catesby is a man broken by grief who turned to fanatical religion as a way of coping with his own suicidal tendencies. 

“So TAKEEEEE MEEEEEEEEEEE. You won’t BREEEEEAAAAAK meeee, it’s too late to SAAAAAAAAVVVVEEEE MEEEEEE.” 

GOD those final notes are going HARD. 

At first, I thought that it was rather scattered, musically wise, but the more I listen to it, the more I think it’s brilliant because the music comes together by the end, as Catesby seems to calcify in his convictions. 

I’ll be really curious to see how anyone but Hadley serves this, but a solid 80% of this song, at the moment, is built on his impressive performance. I’ll be really curious in knowing how the livestreams went. 

Take Things To Our Own Hands: 

Honestly, my favorite song on the album, probably one of them that I can best visualize on stage. 

WE NEED TO THINK OF A WAAAAAY TO BRING THE WHOLE SHIP DOWN.

Favorite vocal moment: When all the conspirators’ voices join one another, and then the moment at the end where it sounds almost like a church’s choir. 

I absolutely LOVE the slick folkish feel to this, paired with the driven pace, it’s like if “The Story Told” from Monte Cristo decided to go folk, I love it. It really has a feel that I don’t see many musicals going for (Hadestown being the closest, though it goes in a jazzier style than this) , and that’s something really in its favor. If the rest of the songs follow this level of quality and tone, this musical is going to be a really, really fun ride.  

Also, it’s very interesting in terms of how, even though this is the conspirators’ “Pump Me Up” song, there’s this very DARK overtone to it, which makes sense given what they’re proposing. Their voices go increasingly hard, almost into a staccato, and I wonder how much of that is diction VS them showing how hardened and increasingly radicalized the conspirators are becoming. 

That being said: “I once had influenza but now that’s all gone when things turned sour”?????????????????? I’m trying desperately to wrap my head around this lyric, it sticks out like a sore thumb.

The lyrics in this particular song are, admittedly, its weakest point: They tend to be very, very repetitive, but, in all honesty, it doesn’t really bother me - It works with that mood of the conspirators becoming radicalized. 

I know that Hadley tends to get most of the kudos for this song, but the other conspirators (Waylon Jacobs, Oliver Savile and Emmanuel Kojo) deserve MASSIVE kudos for their performances, I’m seriously going to be looking into all of them after this. 

The Day Elizabeth Died 

I started off not really caring for this song, but I’ve really warmed to it. 

I’m really curious about who the main singer in this song is supposed to be, because I feel like that will really change how I feel about the lyrics specifying that she had “An inch of makeup on her face”. If we’re supposed to view this from the perspective of a devoutly religious 17th century Catholic woman, I can understand it more than a Protestant woman, given that it really, really works with some misogynistic stereotypes about Elizabeth. 

So, the singer’s apparently Anne Vaux, which makes sense. Okay, I’ll give them this one. A little period-accurate internalized misogyny can be good for the soul. 

I LOVE Rebecca La Chance’s voice. It’s so wonderfully clear and strong, delicate, but with steel beneath it. 

There’s something almost....wistful, melancholy, and isolated about this song? It strikes a very odd balance between being sympathetic to Elizabeth (some say she died of a broken heart) while condemning her reign. 

ALSO. BEST VOCAL MOMENT ON THE ENTIRE ALBUM. “We mourned for her, she was our queen, and for 45 years, she had reigned supreme.” And then the conspirators coming on with “WE DID NOT MOOOOOURRRRN FOR HER. SHEWASOURCAPTOR.” I could, legitimately, listen to that bit alone on repeat, I’m actually obsessed with it. That odd, conflicted feeling between Elizabeth having been Queen for longer than most of England had been alive, providing a sense of stability, while also the very real persecution that English Catholics were under. This is the kind of nuance I really want to see the musical carry forward. 

Blind Faith

I don’t really know what to say except that Martha Percy’s love for Thomas Percy is juxtaposed with Thomas Percy’s feelings for Catesby. 

Literally. 

That’s the song. 

If this musical ever develops a fandom, there are going to be a hundred Catesby/Thomas fics, with James/Thomas being the darkhorse fic. 

It’s hard to judge this one, simply because it’s much more conventional love song - It sounds similar to, for example, “That Would Be Enough”, if Alexander Hamiltpn decided to blow up George III instead of join the American Revolution. It’s a TWIST on the conventional love song, but it still follows similar beats. 

But I DO love how their voices go together, the song really starts to shine when that happens. 

That last “This path was MINE to choose, he has nothing to prove”, probably is the best vocal moment. 

Overall, I don’t have MANY thoughts on this song in comparison to the others, but I can also see myself warming up to it over time. 

The Promise

“His face is quite nice” It’s VERY obvious they’re going for a queer comic relief interpretation of James, which I honestly have mixed feelings about given that he is, clearly, going to be the one that our protagonists are trying to get rid of. There’s.....something about that, a bunch of presumably straight protagonists ganging up to kill a stereotypically portrayed gay man. I know that historically, James WAS, but.....I still don’t like how stereotypical they played this one. Someone could point to Herod from JCS but, in all fairness, Herod was written in the 1970s (and, tbh, given that the central relationship in the musical is Jesus and Judas, you could argue that the entire musical is very, very homoerotic, which makes it less glaring.) This is...well, I’ll have to see how the musical deals with it. I’m willing to give it a fair shake, but they might have set themselves up for danger here. 

But Daniel Boys is, admittedly, serving this song on a silver platter. 

Really, really going into the Spoiled Child Route here. 

If it sounds like I’m disappointed with this song compared to the others, it’s because......yeah, I kind of am. Musically, it’s fine and a little catchy, lyrically, it’s fine, but that nuance I’d been seeing in the other songs goes out the window. James isn’t my favorite historical figure of all time (Bro basically set up the English Civil War), but there still HAD to be a better way to do him justice than this. 

It doesn’t hurt that, unlike the other songs, which were demonstrably TREASON, this one is very much.....a JCS/Hamilton rip-off. Like, it’s very, very blatant. 

Love the rising strings when Percy tells him that Elizabeth is dying, that sense of tension - It does remind me a little of something I heard in The Pirate Queen, but you know what? I’ll give it to them. 

Lowkey obsessed with Oliver Saville’s eyebrow raise when he says “You could save England.” 

The problem is that they’re leaning so hard into the comic route that, when James says that he’ll be a fair king, it really, really makes the Catholic nobility sound dumb as Hell to listen to him. Like “Yes, man who routinely, gleefully sings about cutting off people��s heads, I’ll listen to you!” I know they’re desperate but....come on. 

But also. THAT HIGH NOTE. Daniel Boys really put 110% in there. 

Overall, my takeaway is that this musical could either do very, very well or very, very badly, depending on how they play it. It’s hard to judge because the public only has access to 5 tracks (except for the lucky ducks who bought tickets to the stream, where they got access to 10) - It’s hard to judge a musical based off of 5 tracks, and a musical about the Gunpowder Plot with, say, a love song called “Blind Faith” almost sounds like something out of a parody, something destined to be one of those flops that go down in history. BUT, that being said, the musical has some very strong vocal performances and some really good music, when it keeps to its own mood and style instead of trying to go off of what other, more successful musicals have done. There’s some real, real promise in this musical, and I’ll be both anxious and excited to see how it all turns out (and if they ever offer a full purchase for the live recording......I’d honestly probably buy it.) It was a shame I found out about it so late in the game, because I’d have totally bought tickets to the stream if I had known earlier. 

[jungcity]

bane of the devil. | iii

genre: vampire!jaehyun [angst | fluff | smut ]

pairings: jaehyun x female reader

note: bane of the devil deals with themes of physical, mental, and sexual abuse as well as toxic relationships. which may be upsetting for some readers. you are advised not to continue if you feel uncomfortable to these types of plots.

“father,

in the row of angels

do i have a place?

when the devil offered me

a hand

i took her whole arm

conquering death

she took my soul

and whispered,

“holy water cannot help

you now”

father,

why did you open the heavens,

just for the angels to arrive too late?”

— bane of the devil // iii

Ten Years Ago

Giggles erupted from the girl in front of Jaehyun as he blew out smoke to her face. Her glossy lips glinting against the moonlight as she looked up to him. To be honest, Jaehyun does not remember her name. It could be Rebecca, or Veronica, he wasn’t so sure. All he knew was that her tits bounced gracefully whenever he fucked her in missionary.

“Hot,” she giggled before standing slightly to meet his lips.

The exhaust of motorcycles encircling them was deafening. But the noise was blood in Jaehyun’s veins. Boys from his university started to clap each other’s hands and backs as they departed their motorcycles, cigarettes pressed between their lips. Girls in their usual tight mini-skirts and low v-necks made the cold night warm, swaying their hips and flipping their hairs with bubblegums in their mouths.

Jaehyun, himself, popped one to his mouth as he met with his gang. They nodded before clapping his back, muttering good lucks which made him laugh.

“Six-hundred fifty thousand tonight, Jung.” Jeno, Jaehyun’s right hand grinned, his feet propped on the speakers.

Jaehyun relaxed his muscles, his ears perking up by how large the take-home money for tonight’s racing is. Street racing does not make you rich, Jaehyun never wanted to become one either. Some of his friends calls him deranged, for joining something that could end his life with a single mistake on the brakes. Yet, since when did words of warnings take away the kingdom from its king?

Jaehyun loved the race, more than anything. The savage whipping of the wind on his face as he takes off with his motorcycle was like a fuel into his heart. The adrenaline whenever he had to twist his hand to get past the red light was what makes him jubilant. The road was his kingdom, and in it he was god.

“Is the bad boy ready?” Jeno asked, patting the seat of Jaehyun’s motorcycle.

“Since last week,” he grinned. He’d done this so many times already that it does not make him nervous anymore. But he could not forget the first time he held the brakes and road on into the night— his chest thudding— every time he sits on his motorcycle.

In his first try, he almost died. His hands continued to shook then, his stomach hurling in every shout of the taxi drivers and every turn of the stop signs. However, after fanning his face with the money he had won, all had been better.

“Babe.” Rebecca or Veronica called out from behind him. He raised a brow, then the girl motioned something on the hood of someone’s car.

The white lines glinted against the moon, its crystals pulling Jaehyun with an unfathomable sense of thrill. He waved a hand to Jeno before sauntering up to the car.

“Go on, big boy. The show’s about to start.” The woman winked, pulling Jaehyun’s denim jacket closer to her and met his lips with hers. It was a violent kiss, with teeth clashing and saliva almost dripping from their mouths. Jaehyun held her leg, causing her back to bump on the hood. One swift move and his crotch was pressed on hers already.

One thing he does not like about Rebecca, or Veronica, she moans so loud as to overreact. So before she could elicit a sound, Jaehyun pulled away, has gone straight to the white lines and snorted it all in a blink of an eye. The shot of dopamine was enough to make Jaehyun get through tonight with intense energy and alertness.

He shook his head. The remaining white lines he rubbed onto his gums, the bitterness of it waxing his tongue. Then he clenched and unclenched his fist as to relax his livid nerves.

With one last momentary kiss from the woman, Jaehyun climbed on his motorbike. In a spur of a moment, the abandoned parking lot was filled with the noise of tires screeching against the asphalt, the loud cheers of the spectators, and the dancing of neon lights against the cloak of midnight.

Jaehyun started the engine. A cloud of smoke from the exhaust coalescing into the air. As he road towards the starting line, his competitor, Jaemin, bowed his head slightly towards him; a sign of reverence. Jaehyun was notorious for motor racing, to challenge him was a chance many would die to take.

Jaehyun gave him a curt nod, taking in his stance and the expression of his face. Jaemin was nervous by the way he clutched the hand-grip. Before Jaehyun could spit a few encouraging words, the starter has sauntered up in front of them, waving a flag into the air to gather the attention of everyone. Jeno was on his side in an instant, patting his back slightly.

Then the starter shouted the cue, Jaehyun revved  his engine, thick clouds of smoke puffed out the exhaust. He continued to twist the hand-grip, every second adding to his adrenaline.

“Go!”

Wasting no time to glance at Jaemin, Jaehyun rode into the chaos of the night, the familiar exhilaration flaming his system. He merely blinked when he had reached the highway, his motorbike dancing with cars, buses, and trucks alike.

Illegal motor racing such as this one requires no helmet. If you die, you die. But he won’t, he could not, not when the money was that high. The policemen were miles away from their venue, but they’d no doubt would flock to the abandoned parking lot if something unusual comes up.

The first traffic light went red, Jaehyun twisted the hand-grip to pick up his pace. Shouts from drivers passed on as muffled noises, a sound Jaehyun was already acquainted to since he started racing.

Jaemin was only a bumper away. Jaehyun smirked, not anticipating the guts of the boy behind him. He revved the engine, creating distance between them. His motorbike made sharp turns as to avoid the cars ahead. Jaehyun chanced a look behind him, when his eyes failed to see Jaemin’s motorbike, a smug smile finally spread on his lips.

Every race isn’t perfect. That, Jaehyun knew the first time he experienced how it felt like to almost die. The asphalt was a road made by the devil himself, easy way to acquire a human life. For him, dying in the road was the most jejune way to be six feet under. Jaehyun had escaped the devil a many times already, yet the play doesn’t seem to stop every time he starts the engine.

The first thing he heard was the shout of a woman. Then the chaos of the road died down as Jaehyun saw a ball rolled down the middle of the asphalt, followed by a little girl— unmindful of the racing motorbike towards her. Jaehyun scrambled for the brakes, but this time, it had not bowed down to his will.

And all he had felt was his impact against bones and flesh.

He had never felt so light until his body rolled off the road— too many turns to even count. He felt his bones cracked, his head and his flesh grazing the rough asphalt. The ringing of his ear was like an unending chorus of death singing for him, at last. It was agonizing to open his eyes, but he did, for the sake of the little girl.

The lights from different cars drawing to a halt blinded him, yet he did not falter. He needs to see the girl. And then there she was, lying on the cold asphalt. Blood painted her pretty little face red. He hadn’t known if it was a sob, or a scream that had reverberated from his throat. But all he knew— before he closed his eyes— that the little girl’s irises were lifeless as they stared right to his unmoving body. Then Jaehyun was met with oblivion.

Or so he thought.

He hadn’t known what it was. But his eyes slowly opened. His vision red, a proof that the blood from his head has cascaded down his eyelids already. It was tormenting to breath, he felt like drowning in his own blood. His nostrils were clogged, his mouth dry, his ribs broken. As he took a painful glance at the little girl, she was not in the asphalt no more. A stretcher had brought her into the ambulance, yet Jaehyun knew that it was for naught. She died the moment the motorbike hit her.

For the first time in his life, Jaehyun wanted to die. He wanted and prayed for the stupor of death to envelope him at last. However, death had not listened.

The ringing of his ear halted, followed by a thud of heels against the road. Death has turned its back on him, replace by a leaning girl carrying a black umbrella with her. She was eerily pretty, Jaehyun was sure of that, despite of his red vision. The coldness of her palm bit at Jaehyun’s cheek, but as the pain dominated his whole body, he barely felt it.

“Let… me die.” Then he coughed, blood once again spurted out of his mouth to the asphalt road.

“Not so soon, pretty boy,” was the woman’s alluring reply. For a moment, it made Jaehyun believe that maybe— even after all the hideous things he’s done in his life— he would go to heaven.

“Let me…”

Then the darkness wrapped him up once more.

When Jaehyun finally woke, he was met with a pitch black darkness. The cold earth covering his whole body, making it hard for him to breathe. It took him seconds to realize that he was buried in the ground. His mind was a mayhem of the memories from the racing— of the little girl he killed.

He died. But why isn’t there any casket to protect his body? Did his mother even care? Even wept? Why is he even alive? Then a feral moan resonated from his mouth.

He was thirsty. Not for water. But for blood.

The thirst was extremely intense, it had almost driven him mad. Followed by the clawing of worms on his skin. Jaehyun started to claw his way out of his grave, the strength he possesses shocking him. His muscles should strain from all the clawing and thrashing that he’s doing, but he did not feel anything other than the ferocious hunger for blood.

As the frigid weather bite onto his hand, Jaehyun knew he was near to climb his way out from the grave and into the world beyond. Mud splattered everywhere as he finally succeeded in burrowing himself out of the earth.

An animalistic snarl echoed from him. His eyes was frantic as he looked everywhere— searching for something, searching for a prey. He saw the same woman who’s caressed his cheek as he lay dying on the asphalt road. She was clad in a black dress, silk gloves on both her hands. A similar vicious smile was painted on her lips as she took in Jaehyun’s façade.

“Hungry, are you?” was her question before leading Jaehyun to his first prey.

The confusion in Jaehyun’s mind averted him to identify the unmoving thing in front of him. It was an animal, or a person, he does not care. Pain lances through him as two unfamiliar fangs elongated from his teeth. And then in a dash of the moment, those fangs were embedded into the creature’s skin.

—

“Y/N, Alena is my fiancée.”

The first emotion to hit you was shame. Shame for the impulsive decisions you have made minutes ago with the witch Juana without consulting Jaehyun. And then confusion. Jaehyun has a fiancée. But he’d kissed you as if he doesn’t have one.

You felt worse just by thinking of the girl’s feelings if she ever finds out about it. For a moment, as you remember that Alena was a vampire, you feared for your life. Your mortal life span and feebleness could not simply take in the wrath of a vampire.

“I— I’m sorry Jaehyun. I didn’t know.” You placed your hand on the base of your neck, a mannerism you have acquired as a way to calm yourself. “Don’t worry. I will call off the deal with Madame Juana. I’m sure there’s another way we could—”

Jaehyun cut you off by looking at your eyes with such fierceness. “It’s okay, Y/N. I want her dead too, anyways.”

“You what?” was your baffled question. Alena is his fiancée. How could he want her to die? “Jaehyun, what?” you repeated.

Jaehyun sat on the wooden bench beside the fountain. The merriments of the party inside continued as you sat beside him. Darkness enveloped you both, with the spare lights coming from the mansion illuminating your faces.

“I want her dead, Y/N. More than anyone who wishes to kill her.” He pursed his lips. “But I simply cannot do it.”

The urge to place your hand on his shoulder was too strong, but you gulped and clenched your hand into fist instead. “If you really want her to die, don’t you think this deal I’ve made with Juana could help you? Like what she’d said, it’s a win-win situation.” An uncomfortable feeling settled in your bones as you uttered the words. Alena is Jaehyun’s fiancée, still. Perhaps he’d love her before. Or perhaps he loves her until now.

“You don’t understand.” His shoulders slumped. “She is my creator, Y/N. It was a rule written in the book of Nosferatu to not kill the one who gave you your second life.”

You breathed, unable to produce words. The coldness of the night bit on your skin. It took you a moment to realize that Alena was the one who turned Jaehyun into a vampire. “She… turned you,” was your breathless utterance. Jaehyun didn’t confirm it, he didn’t nod. But you know you were right. Alena was his creator. “Why would you want her dead?”

Jaehyun ran a hand through his face, before leaning as to prop his arms on his knees, the wind ruffling his hair. “Because she turned me. She should’ve had left me when I died, Y/N. But she turned me into the monster that I am today.”

With that, you settled your hand onto his shoulders. Jaehyun flinched in the slightest. But you pressed your hand, gripping his shoulder with a comfortable weight. “You are not a monster—”

Then he stood up, eyes blazing when he looked at you. “Don’t romanticize my nature, Y/N.” He spoke with rancor.

“I am not,” you stated before standing up. Jaehyun grimaced, affronted by your unyielding expression. Perhaps he was a vampire. But you could feel the mortality resting in his bones whenever he laughs and smiles at you. “Perhaps I do not understand everything. But the mere fact that you don’t suck human blood—”

He cut you off again. “How did you know that I don’t?” Then he faced you, his canines elongating. A small part of you wanted to run, but you held on to the hope that he won’t harm you. When you hadn’t answered, Jaehyun leaned closer to your face. It took all your willpower not to step back and stumble on your feet.

“Here’s the thing, Y/N.” He bared his fangs, “I’ve agreed to our deal because I need something from you. Now you have what you want. All you have to do is kill Alena, that way you’d know who killed your parents. But count me out of it.”

“You want her dead too!” You fisted your palms on both your sides.

“Yes. But I’m not the one who would, could, kill her. Haven’t you heard? Juana cursed her to die in the hands of a mortal.”

“You could at least help me.” You sounded hopelessly pathetic that you wanted to slap yourself and snap out of your desperation.

A spiteful grin was plastered on Jaehyun’s lips after you said the words. “I’m not coming with you into this suicide mission, babydoll.” Then he leaned closer to your ear, his lips grazing your skin. “We’re not friends.”

Then he turned on his heel and walked away, leaving you breathless.

—

Per usual, you haven’t had an ounce of sleep last night, resulting in you drowning your veins with coffee yet again. After the party, you’d gone straight home. Alone. Jaehyun was nowhere to be found when you’ve arrived, you supposed it was fitting by the way your conversation ended up in Madame Juana’s garden.

We’re not friends.

Jaehyun’s statement was laced with enough  astringency to make your stomach recoil up until today. You could not even sip your coffee because of the memory. Haechan and Mark were exchanging ideas about your plate, only stopping when your professor arrived.

After all that had happened, you feel stupid and pathetic. Stupid to expect something as a simple friendship from Jaehyun. Pathetic to even look past his blood-sucking nature and pretend that he was still a human. By that alone, you wanted to slap yourself.

The deal you’ve discussed with Madame Juana ate up on you, you feel it bubbling like a boiling water in your chest, ready to burst at any given moment. Yet when you looked at your two friends, bickering in front of you, you could not imagine telling them the deal you’ve made with a vampire and a five-hundred-year old witch.

It’s simply impossible. Vampires and witches were just myths made by people from the past to explain every sinister thing such as a plague that had happened to them. They weren’t real. They shouldn’t be real.

But how come you’ve met them in a span of a month?

“Y/N, are you okay?”

You blinked. Mark was looking at you as if he wanted to take you to the hospital already.

“Of course,” was your reply with a forced smile.

“You’ve been spacing out since you arrived,” Haechan chided in.

“I… I was just thinking about our plates. Yes. Plates.” You gave them a smile, showing all your teeth. They both looked at you with concern etched to their faces but said nothing.

The moment the classes were dismissed, you scrambled to fetch all your A3’s and dashed for the door. Haechan and Mark shouted your name, for you to only answer them with a rushed wave before you continued to run.

Ominous dark clouds invaded the skies, a threat for a heavy rain that would ravage the grounds sooner or later. You sighed, remembering that you forgot to bring your umbrella. And sigh you did as you looked down at your plates, tucked in your arms. You should’ve left them inside Mark’s drafting tube.

The students littering in the hallways made it harder for you to reach the exit. You had to nudge with your arms to get past the throng of individuals. When you’ve finally reached the gates of the university, thunders erupted from the heavens, making you start in your position underneath the roofs of the waiting shed.

Buses were hard to come by, given that a lot of students and workers alike were dismissed because of the threatening heavy rainfall. For a moment, you thought about going home instead of meeting Madame Juana. However, it’s bad to upset a witch. She could turn you into a frog for all you know. So when one empty bus halted in front of you, you nudged your way towards it again, plates slightly wrinkling in your arms.

As you got on the bus, the rain started to fall, drenching the dry asphalt road and emitting the familiar smell of rain against the ground. Drenched students got inside the bus, little droplets of water from their bags dripping on the seats. You sighed, this is what you loathed about commuting; the chaos of commuters especially when it was raining.

You let your head rest on the window, it was cold against the side of your forehead. As you let your mind drift off to the approaching meeting with a witch, you thought about all the things you would and would not say. Vampires were all the unknown creatures you’ve studied all your life. Witches were another history and lore you did not bother to study.

When the bus halted near Madame Juana’s mansion, you’ve dreaded yourself for not bringing an umbrella. The plates that were tucked in your arms are unfinished ones. It’s far from finished, you’ve only drawn title blocks on it. But still, it took you at least half an hour finalizing them.

Your nose scrunched up before heaving a deep sigh and running towards the mansion. You could not simply keep your plates on your bag. One way or another, the rain would soak them still.

Thankfully, Madame Juana’s mansion has a front porch the size of your own room. You started to dry yourself with a roll of tissue before ringing in her doorbell. Her bodyguard was polite and had not bothered to question you in the gates. As the massive oak door opened, a man who appears to be the butler smiled.

“You must be Ms. Y/N?” He politely asked, you nodded. “This way, Miss.”

You trailed behind him as he ascended the stairs located at the very heart of the hall. It was polished wood. All of the things are polished and shining, you doubt there was even a speck of dust in them. After ascending the stairs, he led you to the left corner. Paintings of different kinds greeted you as you walked through the long corridor.

In the grandiose of everything, you felt utterly small. Especially when you walked passed Madame Juana’s massive portrait before the butler turned the door opened, revealing a parlor-looking room.

The room was circular, with big windows adorned with thick velvet curtains. A fireplace was located at the very center, in front of it was a little coffee table.

Madame Juana stood when she finally saw you, her cup of steaming liquid forgotten at the table.

“My darling, Y/N.” Then she kissed both your cheeks. She turned her head to the butler, “You can leave us now Mr. Jones.” The man politely bowed his head before turning on his heel with a grace only from a butler. You heard the soft thud of the door as it closed.

“Have a seat.” Madame Juana smiled.

You rubbed your palms together before sitting in on one of the velvet chairs, your butt slightly sinking by how soft it was.

“Coffee or tea?” Madame Juana asked, her hands ready to make you a drink.

“It’s okay, Ma’am. I’ve had enough coffee already.” You smiled. If you dare drink another caffeinated drink today, you’d surely end up in a hospital bed tomorrow because of palpitations.

Madame Juana smiled before sitting across from you. “You’re looking rather careworn, my love.” By that, you tried to fixed your wet hair, tucking the strands behind your ears. “Where’s your vampire bodyguard?”

“Oh no, he’s not my bodyguard.” He’s not even my friend.

“Friend, then?”

With that, you shifted on your seat with a downcast smile etched on your lips. “No.”

“Good. We don’t make friends with vampires, pretty girl.” There was acid in her words as she said them, making you more curious as to why she wanted the leader of a certain vampire clan dead.

“If it’s not too much to ask, why do you want a mortal to kill Alena?” You finally started.

“Oh, that bitch. It makes my head ache just hearing her pretentiously pretty name.” Then she faints a headache, touching her head dramatically. In a blink of a moment, Madame Juana’s sensual and dramatic acts vanished, replaced by a stoic expression and blazing eyes. “Alena, she took my son away from me. The only memory I have with my beloved husband; gone. She claimed him as hers, biting his neck and turning him into one of them. She must die.”

The hatred in her made you uncomfortable. Being a mortal, you have no idea how to walk the patience of a witch. So you decided to shut your mouth and let Madame Juana tell her story.

“I loved mortals. Believe me when I say that. And that is what makes me different from that wench, Alena.” She was looking at the fire burning at the fireplace now, completely oblivious of you. “She looks at mortals like they are ragged dolls she would dispatch after using.” Then she looked at you, “But little did she knew that it’s a mortal who would end her life.”

You attempted to speak, but Madame Juana stood up. Her billowing dress moved together with her as she delved a box in her drawers. She stared at it for a while before sauntering up beside you.

The box was adorned with stones. Something was wrapped inside it. It was a dagger, that was for sure. Because its edge was slightly peaking at the end of the satin that covers it.

“This dagger is enchanted by me. It would cut even the bones of any creatures.” She unwrapped the dagger. It appeared like a cross, adorned with sapphire, a moonstone at its pommel. “Do you know how to use a dagger, young lady?” She whispered.

You thought you could. All those days of pretending you could actually kill a vampire was slowly burying to your system like a bottle of shame. You shook your head. “Perhaps it’s not me you’re looking for, Madame.” It was embarrassing to admit, but it was the truth.

“You are mistaken. Y/N, you are exactly what I was searching for this whole time. I’ve cursed Alena for one hundred years already, my love. Yet no mortal has arrived to my doorway, begging me for help, not until you did.”

You looked down at your hands, “I don’t even know how to hold a dagger.” A soundless chuckle then.

“That won’t be a problem,” Madame Juana assuredly stated. She caressed your cheek, her hands warm against your skin. “Beginning tomorrow, you will engage in a proper training to ready yourself for this mission.”

As your breath caught in your throat, you think about your studies, about Johnny, about the life you would surely abandon if you would finally take the step towards this goal. Are you ready?

“But… Ma’am, I am a college student. An architecture one at that. I couldn’t simply—”

Madame Juana placed her finger on your lips, “You have to decide. A robotic life of getting a degree and starting a family, or this life full of magic and mysteries. I know, the former was what you would’ve preferred, darling. But think about your parents.” She smiled, “Once this is all over, once you have the vengeance you have been searching for, you could always go back and live a normal life.”

You stare at her friendly yet grief-stricken eyes. She’s lost her son to Alena. To a vampire. You’ve lost your parents to a vampire, too. Her pain isn’t yours, yours isn’t hers, but you are alike. At last. Someone understands. Someone cares. For the first time in your life, you’ve encountered someone the same as you.

A single tear had escaped your eyes, you harshly brush it off, refusing weakness to succumbed you. “Alright, tomorrow then.”

“You’ve made the right choice, darling,” she whispered. Then she flicked her fingers to the air, her mouth calling a name.

The doors opened, revealing a tall white-haired boy. He has the playful aura in him, and oh, he is handsome.

“This is Lucas, Y/N, a vampire hunter. He would supervise your training.”

Lucas smiled, bowing slightly, then he stretched out his hand to you. You reluctantly took it. Instantly, his mouth was pressed on the back of your hand.

“It is a pleasure to meet such a beautiful lady.” He smiled. “I am Lucas.”

You blinked, unable to process words. You felt like you were a bird captured in a cage. Your muscles refused to move, as well as your mouth. When you attempted to speak, a voice behind Lucas interrupted you.

“What a reunion.”

Jaehyun. He appeared, looking dashing as always, his hands kept in the pockets of his jeans.

All of your eyes were fixed on him straight away. What is he doing here?

“Long time no see, Lucas.” He grinned, before swinging his fist and punching the tall man in front of you.  

[itisintentional]

One nice thing about every Six queen (first names J-Z)

Jade Marvin- Powerful voice and I really wish her full cover of Toxic was online. Jarneia Richard-Noel- Her Aragon is so fun, I just love her! Jasmine Shen- Her voice has grown so much in just a few years, and she was great to start with. Jennifer Caldwell- It’s remarkable how much chemistry she had which a cast she was randomly switched into with little notice. Jessica Niles- The perfect representation of chaotic cute. Jodie Steele- Those standing backbends. How? Kala Gare- Deep sultry Boleyn is gay rights. Karis Oka- I found a two year old body positivity post on her ig that’s just amazing and made me tear up a bit. Kelly Sweeney- Her “OH MY GOSH GUYS SERIOUSLY HE ACTUALLY WANTS TO CHOP MY HEAD OFF!” killed me and I wasn’t expecting it. Kiana Daniele- She’s so butch as Cleves and it’s so good! Lauren Byrne- Her Heart of Stone has almost a folksy quality that’s so interesting and pretty. Lauren Drew- Her No Way riffs and ad-libs are amazing and I’m surprised more people in the queendom don’t talk about them. Liv Alexander- Her voice is so sweet yet so powerful at the same time. Loren Hunter- CONTRALTO RIGHTS! Lori McLare- I’m not going to analyze her entire Howard characterization based on one megasix, but I can say based on it that it’s a crime that she only went on once. Lucy Aiston- Based on her singing reel she has a very impressive range including a crazy high mix belt, and I can’t wait to hear her take on Boleyn. Maddison Bulleyment- Her subdued comedic delivery is so funny and so different from other Boleyn’s. Maiya Quansah-Breed- I love how she can sing with so much power then turn around and dance like the adorable chaotic goofball she is. Mallory Maedke- Her and Nicole singing "gay rights" was so perfect and a riff of her’s from that got suck in my head. Megan Gilbert- Her “you must think that I’m crazy” makes me laugh so hard and I didn’t even know that lyric could be funny. Megan Leung- I tried to not just complement looks in this but Megan is the first queen who I can’t find any footage of so I’ll just say she’s very cute and I can’t wait to see her in her first megasix. Millie O’Connell- An unstoppable ball of pure energy and charisma. Natalie Paris- For whatever reason watching her perform is so calming and comforting. Natalie Pilkington- Literally didn’t recognize her as Seymour after seeing megasixes of her as Parr, Cleves, and Aragon. She is VERSATILE. Nicole Kyoung-Mi Lambert- The way she plays around with dynamics and note values makes the material feel so fresh no matter how many times you’ve listened to it before. Rebecca Wickes- I’m a real sucker for anyone with a great high rock belt and boy does she got one. Reneé Lamb- How was she only 20 during her time with Six? Imagine the raw power of her voice in just a few more years. Samantha Pauly- Her megasix dab singlehandedly killed cringe culture. Scarlet Gabriel- We stan a multitalented queen who also teaches. Shannen Quan- Her Parr is both one of the softest and one of the most big dick energyed and I don’t entirely know how that’s possible. Shantel Cribbs- MANAGEMENT, GET HER ON AS AN ALTERNATE. WE NEED TO SEE HER GO ON EVENTUALLY. Shekinah Mcfarlane- I’m so glad she’s on the tour as Cleves, but she would’ve been killer in the roles she didn’t get to cover on the West End. Shimali de Silva- Her voice is so pure and wholesome. Idk how a voice a can be wholesome but her’s is. Sophie Golden- My sexuality is also the way Sophie drops in the megasix during “GET DOWN YOU DIRTY RASKA-A-ALS!” Sophie Isaacs- Rehearsing while being in another show is hard and I’m impressed with how easily she stepped into Six after doing that. Sophie-Rose Middleton- Literally so good at singing harmonies. Vicki Manser- Katherine Howard wasn’t even her first cover but she was so amazing and such a champ taking over the role. Vidya Makan- Her Parr has one of the most impressive transformations from touchily mournful to total hype man in I Don’t Need Your Love. Viquichele Cross- I love her Parr, she's so vibrant and wholesome. Zara MacIntosh- Aragon/Howard is such an interesting first cover combination and it shows what an amazingly unique performer she it.

One nice thing about every Six queen (first names A-I)

[sharethisgemwithme]

Zach and Grace Friday panel at Connecticon 2019

Some highlights and notes from the "Growing Up with Steven Universe" panel featuring Zach Callison and Grace Rolek, Friday afternoon at Connecticon 2019. There are some promo spoilers. Most quotes are approximate from the notes I took on my phone. There may be a recording of the panel, but the camera was blocked by the audience question line for a while and when I got to the front of the line, I saw it wasn't even pointed at Zach and Grace.

Sorted into broad categories:

Movie hype / spoilery talk

Host asked about the poster. Zach said he's kinda looked at it, but not studied it closely. Grace: "Spoiler alert, someone has a neck." Zach: "That's all anyone can talk about."

What's the hardest scene to record that you've done. Zach: "I hate to do this but the hardest scene I've done I did a few weeks ago and I can't talk about it for quite a while." [audience groans]

Audience member: "I have a question about the movie." Zach makes police siren noises, "Oh no the Cartoon Network spoiler police!"

Attempts to get even small details were denied. "So we saw you have a neck. Is your voice going to change?" [pause] Zach: "A week from today (Friday), there's a big panel and there's gonna be a bunch of stuff. I recommend you watch."

This was earlier in the day, when I met Zach in the autograph line. Me: "I'm really looking forward to all the stuff that's gonna come out next week in San Diego." Zach: "There's so much. I'm not going to be there, after six years of going, I need a vacation."

Zach makes ABUNDANTLY clear how excited he is for what's coming up, "I am thrilled with what they've done after CYM."

Reaction to the new gems from CYM. Zach: "Sunstone is one of my favorites now. Like an after-school camp counselor." Grace: "Obsidian is one of the hardest secrets I've ever had to keep on this show." They finished recording CYM in 2017!

Have you ever cried in the recording booth? Zach: "Over a dozen times. One time really badly... with something that hasn't come out yet."

What's the biggest theme you've taken from the show? Zach: "I'm really sorry to do this, but I'm gonna skip this question because the theme I take away is something that hasn't come up in the show yet." He says the show has become intensely personal to him and his experiences, both intentionally and unintentionally, and says if he accidentally gave hints as to upcoming themes, it wouldn't be fair to the crew. (This probably ties in with some of the stuff below under “Outside of SU”)

Favorites and funniest

What's the hardest scene to record that you've done. Among stuff that's aired, Zach: Storm in the Room. Connie: "Either Nightmare Hospital or Full Disclosure when Connie is like 'Stop ghosting me, Steven!' "

What are some funny moments from recording? The opening scene from "Winter Forecast", the directors INSISTED on real marshmallows, "nothing else would do". Grace: "And these were not small. There's jumbo and then there's novelty size." Zach: "They got novelty size." Grace: "I could barely fit one inside my mouth."

Favorite episode (this question might've had a "besides the Big Plot episodes" caveat).

Zach: "Onion Gang. Any of the weird Onion episodes."

Grace: "I realize this is an unpopular opinion but I love the Ronaldo episodes. I have a Keep Beach City Weird sticker on my laptop. I don't like having stuff that's too overtly Steven Universe because I don't like to toot my own horn, but KBCW is great because it's 'if you know, you know'." Zach: "It's a lifestyle."

That segued into talk about "Rocknaldo", which Zach thought was hilarious, especially the way CN trolled everyone with the Bloodstone promo. Grace "Was that the one where Ronaldo tried to kill someone in the basement?" Discussion brings up that's "Horror Club". Grace continues, "That was a great one, like what are we DOING? No one went to jail for this?"

Favorite songs:

First, ones that they did.

Zach said "Let's Only Think About Love". I think he added a second one, but my notes say “or” and then stop there so I think I moved on to the next bit and forgot what else he said.

Grace says "Of course 'Do it for Her'" but also that she loved providing background harmonies for "Escapism". "Aly and AJ was the first concert I ever went to, so to do back-up vocals for AJ was the greatest fangirl moment." (There’s been some confusion as to whether Zach and Grace had vocals on that song, it’s now clear that they did)

Then, overall. Zach immediately sings "It's over, isn't it? Isn't it over?" Grace grumbles that she can't take the same answer, so she throws out "Stronger Than You".

"Back in the start of the show, it was a lot more lighthearted. What's the funniest or weirdest line you had to record?" Zach IMMEDIATELY goes into voice: "A boy on the cusp of manhood can't spend the whole day wackering." Grace enjoyed her line from "Open Book": "Of course you like the ending, you LOVE schmultz."

Pivoting into the weirdness of early episodes, Zach says "Frybo and Cat Fingers were back to back, 5 and 6. I don't know how anyone stuck with the show after that."

What's the biggest theme you've taken from the show? Grace: "I think about Mindful Education all the time. Here Comes a Thought is such a great song but also an important mantra."

Other than Uncle Grandpa, what crossover would you like to do? Zach: "I wanna be the very best!" Audience cheers. Grace says she would've loved to do "Adventure Time".

This segues into a joke that people confuse Zach for Jeremy Shada (Finn), in some cases even when Zach is standing in front of a poster that says ZACH CALLISON. Grace says that her boyfriend loves the joke so much that Zach is listed in his phone as "Jeremy Shada".

Behind the scenes

What was it like seeing the show blow up the way it did? Grace: "I used to go on Tumblr and read all the posts, all the reactions people had, but after Jail Break... couldn't do that anymore." Zach: "I poke my head into a reddit every once in a while."

What's it like in the booth with the rest of the cast? Grace: "Deedee and Michaela always get to do the funniest things."

Discussion of how voice acting lends them a little more anonymity than live-action, and there's still a spectrum of how recognizable people are.

Grace recounts a story from earlier in the day, possibly on the way to that very panel. "The elevator was pretty crowded and I was able to get on but Zach wasn't. And as soon as it closed, one of the other people in the elevator was like 'Oh my god, Zach Callison almost got on the elevator with us!' And I was like 'Oh my god, that would've been so cool!'"

Both Zach and Grace recounted times when they've greeted stranger wearing SU apparel and gotten blank stares in response, like, "Uh, yeah, what's your point?"

Zach: "As of Sunday, I'm leaving the country to be a hobo for a bit." He's flying to Siberia, then taking a 62-hour train ride to get on a boat to Korea, where he plans to visit the Korean animation studio where SU is drawn (as seen in "Steven's Dream"), something almost no actors do (apparently Michaela was more or less the first to do so, for any show at all).

Sometimes Grace will have a lot of "catching up" to do with the plot. "One time Rebecca was like 'oh by the way Lars is pink now." Zach jokes, "Lars is pink, Ronaldo and Pearl are married, oh and Steven is dead."

Have you ever cried in the recording booth? Zach: "Over a dozen times." Grace says she has, sometimes in group records.

More joking around: "Yes, I'm Zach Callison, the voice of Onion. I'll be in my booth." "You should have a print that's just Onion." "With the flames behind him."

What were your auditions like? Grace: "I was reading the sides from 'Bubble Buddies', and Connie is worried she's gonna die with no friends and I was like 'This is a kids show? This is a show for children and I'm supposed to say these words?!'" She saw Rebecca Sugar's name attached to the show, which she recognized as a fan of Adventure Time, particularly Marceline "I'm edgy like her!"

Audience member starts her question: "Ohmygod, my heart is in my ass. Wait, can I say ass?" Grace: "You can say whatever you want, you're not under the thumb of Time Warner." Zach: "Technically, I've never signed any NDA. Oh hell, I'm leaving the country in three days. ACT ONE!" [laughter, and he does not continue with joke spoilers]

Outside of Steven Universe

Tell us about yourself outside of Steven Universe. Zach: "I'm a dirty rowdy hippie." He goes to music festivals barefoot (but not urban ones).

Zach talked about some of the over-the-top scenes he's been in or seen on "The Goldbergs", where he plays a minor recurring character, including one where the actual rain they were filming in wasn't enough, so the producers dumped thousands of gallons of additional rainwater on the cast.

Zach said he hasn't auditioned for anything new in a while (I think he said at least a year) because of burnout. Whenever SU may end, he's ready for a break. Following on with that, discussion of what a shitty industry Hollywood is, especially for kids.

Zach: "A lotta people (in this industry), their big break is a show they hate, and that kills me to think that. And it couldn't be further from the truth for anyone in SU. If I had booked a live-action sitcom that ran six seasons, I wouldn't be here. I'd be in a much darker place."

What would you be doing if not this?

Zach: "I enrolled in college, signed up for things, never went to class, and eventually dropped out. I never had any other plan." Ties into further discussion of what an absolute nightmare Hollywood is for kids, that some of his friends from high school are no longer around.

Grace: "I went to college for two years (she would've graduated this spring), trying to make sure I had a plan B lined up. But flying back and forth from San Francisco to Los Angeles was getting ridiculous and I realized I wasn't being fair to my plan A."

[beevean]

Change is the best scene in the SU movie

Like look at this. This one sequence is literally perfect, and it’s the highlight of the entire movie for many reasons

Steven’s gorgeous voice, that makes me angry that we had to wait until now to hear it - to think Zach had to talk in falsetto until Change Your Mind, we were robbed, listen to that high note <3

Steven kissing his blood away like a badass

The animation of Steven stomping with his flip-flop, Mundane Made Awesome

That smooth animation when he summons his shield

Spinel turning into a Beyblade and making it look cool

“You don’t understand! You can’t change the way I feel!” I just love Sarah Stiles’ intonation here, the way she almost growls in anger

Steven showing how much he has mastered his powers by using his bubble as makeshift boxing gloves

Speaking of which, this is the first time Steven is alone in a fight against a Gem that really really wants to kill him, and when he gets his powers back, Spinel can’t even scratch him...

... and yet Steven never even attacks Spinel directly. He summons his shield and blocks her attacks, but he shows that he doesn’t want to harm her - he lets her vent while trying to convince her she can make things better, and this is how he “wins” the fight

Spinel yeeting Steven into the sky, with animation straight out of a high-budget anime (which, let’s face it, it’s what this movie is)

The sequence of Steven and Spinel circling each other in the clouds, with that one focus on Steven’s teary eyes when he sings “You can make it better!”. Remember that it’s all hand-made.

The shot of Steven with welcoming arms up in the sky, in front of the shining moon, which is straight-up wallpaper material

The whole song, really - it’s one of the extremely rare times we hear a true orchestra in SU (Obsidian’s theme had strings and french horns, and I think that’s it), and even the notes and chords used are nothing like Rebecca Sugar’s usual style, making it a very compelling “boss” theme. On top of it, the lyrics are the very essence of the show’s philosophy: you can change, but it’s up to you. (and again, Zach Callison’s range is unbelievable) It’s my second favorite song of the movie, even more than Other Friends, and one of my favorites in the entire series

The frames of Spinel looking uncertain or even tear-eyed, as she really wants to believe Steven’s words but being afraid of doing so

“You can’t just make everything better by singing some stupid song!” Self-deprecating joke aside (and screw you spinel this song is great), I just love how this movie revealed that when the characters sing, they sing in real life. (I still crack up when Steven says “Look at them they’re not even singing along :(” in Who We Are)

When Spinel megapunches Steven into the injector, the heart at the top of it breaks - and totally shatters later, when she cries that she’s not good enough. Obvious symbolism maybe, but it yet another cool touch

[theyearoftheking]

Book 5: The Stand

Bloggers note: if you’re looking for a complete plot summary and a list of all the characters in this epic tome, this is not the blog post for you. Proceed with caution. 

Once upon a time, there was a precocious ten year-old, with divorced parents. One parent embraced her weirdness and didn’t pay attention to what books she was bringing home from the library; and the other parent was my dad... who constantly wondered (aloud) why I wasn’t like normal kids. 

Being of slightly above-average intelligence, I saw this as an affront, and did subtle things just to piss him off. Subtle things “normal” children probs wouldn’t do. The summer I was ten, my dad had picked up a paperback copy of The Stand, and was raving to me about how good it was. I remember he was fixated on people falling dead in their bowls of Chunky soup. 

“Sounds like a cool book, maybe I’ll read it,” I commented. 

“This isn’t a book for children. You still haven’t read that copy of The Hobbit I gave you.” 

Hold my beer, motherfucker. I’m here for it. And The Hobbit was boring af. I never got past all the singing. 

Just to piss him off, I read the book cover to cover, faster than he did. You know, like normal vindictive ten year-old girls do. I don’t have a lot of memories of my dad growing up, but I hold onto this one fast and tight, because I got mine in the end. I was like the Trashcan Man of the fifth grade set. Just with a worse haircut. See below. 

Needless to say, my comprehension of The Stand almost thirty years later is a little bigger, wider, and deeper. It’s also colored by other epic “Good vs. Evil” reads (sigh, yes... even Tolkien); and King’s other works (mostly The Dark Tower). While at times this was not an easy book to read, I’m glad I powered through it. Ultimately, I feel rewarded I didn’t give up on page 872 like I had initially wanted to. I’m also glad I didn’t go with my gut instinct of reading the original released in in 1978, and then later on the uncut edition that was released in 1990. One reading of The Stand per year is more than enough, thank you. And besides, there’s fun pictures along the way! I mean, if I’m being honest, the book is mostly pictures with just a few words here and there to break it up. I’m absolutely kidding. 

Let’s get into it, shall we?

First of all, I picked the worst fucking time to read this book. Coronavirus is probably going to kill the whole world, and I refuse to be one of the survivors like in The Stand. There’s not enough bourbon in Kentucky for me to survive that shit show. Additionally, my family is huge into board games, and we thought Pandemic might be a fun cooperative game to try. Spoiler: it’s awesome, we’re all hooked on it. I highly recommend it for your next game night. Maybe an End of the World/Pandemic theme?? You can all wear gloves and masks, eat shelf stable foods and bottled water, and play REM on repeat. Sounds... awesome. 

But I digress. The Stand is your ultimate post-apocalyptic good versus evil showdown. A government employee with Captain Trips (the world ending virus) goes AWOL from his base, and takes a frantic road trip across the country with his family, where he manages to contaminate everyone he comes in contact with. 

What is Captain Trips? Well, I’m so glad you asked! To hear a doctor explain it, “We’ve got a disease with several well-defined stages... but some people may skip a stage. Some people may backtrack a stage. Some people may do both. Some people stay in one stage for a relatively long time and others zoom though all four as if they were on a rocket-sled...” 

The virus spreads (like viruses do), until there’s less than 15,000 people left in the country (rough estimate). The people still alive start having two types of dreams; either scary nightmares about The Walking Man, or peaceful dreams about Mother Abigail. Again... good versus evil. Guess who is who. If you need clarification, let me give you this one little quote about Randall Flagg, courtesy of Mother Abigail, “He’s the purest evil left in the world. The rest of the bad is a little evil. Shoplifters and sexfiends and people who like to use their fists. But he’ll call them. He’s started already. He’s getting them together a lot faster than we are. Before he’s ready to make his move, I guess he’ll have a lot more. Not just the evil ones that are like him, but the weak ones... the lonely ones... and the ones that have left God out of their hearts.” 

And his followers?

“They were nice enough people and all, but there wasn’t much love in them. Because they were too busy being afraid. Love didn’t grow very well in a place where there was only fear, just as plants didn’t grow very well in a place where it was always dark.” 

Yeah. I’m just going to leave that there for you to read and digest. 

So, the remaining people from all over the country either ended up in Vegas with Flagg, or Boulder with Mother Abigail and The Free Zone; which is basically Bernie Sander’s Utopian dream. 

God damn it! I swore I wasn’t going to get political and compare Donald Trump to Randall Fla- 

Ok, so The Free Zone. Most of the people who come to Boulder, want to meet Mother Abigail Freemantle, the one hundred and eight year old black woman they’ve been dreaming about. She’s got a self-described case of the shine, and speaks stupid relevant truth to her followers, “I have harbored hate of the Lord in my heart. Every man or woman who loves Him, they hate Him too, because He’s a hard God, a jealous God, He Is, what He Is, and in this world He’s apt to repay service with pain while those who do evil ride over the roads in Cadillac cars. Even the joy of serving Him is a bitter joy. I do His will, but the human part o me has cursed Him in my heart.” 

I’m not religious, but that hit hard. And it shows you the clear difference between Randall Flagg, and Mother Abigail. 

Later on, Mother Abigail also hits us over the head, and explains to us why this book is titled, The Stand: “But he is in Las Vegas, and you must go there, and it is there that you will make your stand. You will go, and you will not falter, because you have the Everlasting Arm of the Lord God of Hosts to lean on. Yes. With God’s help you will stand.”

Spoiler: it doesn’t quite go according to her plan. Very few are left standing at the end.

 So, The Free Zone. People come together, dispose of dead bodies, get electricity turned back on again, clear the roads of abandoned cars, and form a de-facto government. While lots of characters come and go (die. They die.) throughout the book, there are a few mainstays in The Free Zone: Franny, Harold, Stu, Larry, Nick, Tom, Nadine, and Lucy. But again... good versus evil. While most of the residents of The Free Zone are good, Flagg is able to whisper in the ears of some members, mostly Harold and Nadine, who end up defecting and making the trip to Vegas. 

While socialist utopia is succeeding in Boulder, Flagg is ruling with fear of crucifixion in Vegas. His henchmen include Lloyd, and The Trashcan Man. Oh, Trashy... maybe one of King’s most iconic characters. He’s a bit of a firebug (understatement of the century), and really goes out in a blaze of glory (ha. Pun intended). 

In fact, the two heroes of this book are Trashcan Man, thanks to his epic nuclear disaster; and simple-minded Tom Cullen, who is able to infiltrate Flagg’s inner circle, and successfully make it out, rescuing Stu Redman, who is dying in the desert with a broken leg and a horrible infection along the way. Tom Cullen is the character you root for. But Trashy is the character you’re always curious about. He’s like that rebel guy you dated in high school for ten minutes, and now stalk on Facebook, because you want to see what shady shit he’s up to twenty years later. 

This is the biggest oversimplification I think I’ve ever written. The onus is on you to just pick up the damn book and read it yourself. Do it soon, because you might not have a lot of time left, what with Coronavirus breathing it’s death fumes down our necks. 

For those still keeping track, we have TWO Wisconsin references in The Stand. The first was on page five, set in a gas station in East Texas, “...had covered himself with glory as a quarterback of the regional high school team, had gone on to Texas A&M with an athletic scholarship, and had played for ten years with the Green Bay Packers...” 

I can’t help but feel Steve is a closeted Packers fan. He lives in Maine, so I know he’s contractually obligated to be a Patriots fan (gag), but come on... homeboy loves him some green and yellow. 

The second reference comes from our friend Trashcan Man, while trying to find a walking route of possible destruction. “He had planned to get over to the west side of Gary, near the confusion of interchanges leading various roads towards Chicago or Milwaukee...”

Question... does Gary, Indiana still smell in a post-apocalyptic world? Asking for a friend. 

We also start getting the Dark Tower references fast and heavy. I didn’t make note every time Steve referenced wolves, crows, or wheels; because we’d be up over a million references now. And Randall Flagg himself is straight out of The Tower. So that’s fun. And we have our first “ka” reference: “And it came to him with a dreamy, testicle-shriveling certainty that this was the dark man, his soul, his ka somehow projected into this rain-drenched, grinning crow that was looking at him...”

‘Tis ka, bitches. 

Total Wisconsin Mentions: 8

Dark Tower References: 4

Book Grade: A- 

Rebecca’s Definitive Ranking of Stephen King Books 

The Shining

The Stand

‘Salem’s Lot

Carrie 

Night Shift

Next up is The Dead Zone, which I must have watched a million times as a kid, because my mom was obsessed with it, but I’ve never actually read the book. So this should be fun! I mean... who doesn’t love reading a book and imagining Christopher Walken without his cowbell as the main character? 

Long Days and Pleasant Nights, Rebecca 

[circledotdash-blog]

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

I've seen movies where the actors in the film gripped me, like in the Wolf of Wall Street or Inglorious Basterds by the same director, but this film only managed to mildly amuse me. I don’t think I would watch it again except to look at examples of physical human beauty or to watch disengaged like I do when viewing cowboy movies. I think this is the kind of film that they do for the nostalgia of the 1980s where the main goal of the director is to show the lifestyle and milieu lived by Hollywood actors in said period.

I look at how women were moving in the movie, as I am currently reading Rebecca Solnit's The Mother of All Questions. In the film, Quentin makes quaint portrayals of women. The most attractive would be Sharon, who is in a relationship with two men, one of whom she married, and another sticks with her because he is madly in love with her and is standing by for when Polanski, the director of Rosemary's baby, "makes a dick move." I noted how their relationship shared remnants with the idea of "free love" where marriage is not an excuse to be in a relationship with two men. But at the same time, I was thinking that maybe she was allowed to be with the two men because she was pretty, and kept quiet about her sufferings. In the film, Sharon was mostly just happily dancing around to records, and the only time she was portrayed as somebody who felt discomfort was when they were at the restaurant and she quietly managed being "too pregnant," which could be out of politeness towards her guests.

I don't know if the events in the movie are truthful to a time in Hollywood, but I guess I liked that most of the time the film was just calm and nothing much happened, and the end was the only time you see the usual Tarantino-type of violent shit on screen.

The film referred to Cowboy films shot in 38 millimeter film. One of the films was about Rick Dalton frying Nazis, which is similar to a scene in Inglorious Basterds, where a bunch of Nazi were assassinated in a movie house by a woman avenging her family. The movement in the film is quite like those in Cowboy films where in most of the screen time, nothing much of significance is happening and it's all about the narrative, but the action takes place in the shooting showdown just before the movie ends. And when the credits slide up, that's when you realize that the thing of significance about the film was just a quiet one, like Sharon dancing while fixing her clothes, or the Stuntman driving his dilapited sports car while listening to tunes. There a bit of action I guess when Rick screams at himself in his trailer and threatens his reflection (I will kill) if he doesn't get the script right and stops being an alcoholic. But that it's. So it's like calm calm calm, rise in energy, calm calm, bit of action, peak, end.

Another woman was the wife of the Stuntman, whom he killed on a boat as she was "nagbubunganga" kay Brad Pitt. From the scene, the viewer can assume that he shot her with the gun he was holding which he was about to catch fish with. She kept telling him he was a "loser" and he brought her in the middle of nowhere. When I saw this scene, I was surprisingly unaffected by the reference to the killing of a naggy wife. But when I read Solnit this morning, I noted how Tarantino may have expressed bias against naggy, sad women like the Stuntman's wife. As opposed to Sharon who was mostly happy and charming, the Stuntman's wife is a history referred to in the film as the reason why he finds it hard to get stuntman gigs, aside from harboring a tendency for violence. The stuntman was capable to defend himself, despite being high on acid. In general, the stuntman was a cool man. He hardly showed emotion, even when he was about to break path with his best buddy. When his best buddy, Rick Dalton (played by DiCaprio) lighted a cigarette in tears because he was "officially a has been," the stuntman said "don't cry in front of these Mexicans" as he offered to lend his sunglasses to his boss/friend. It's quiet funny how Rick Dalton is this broken narcissistic seemingly directionless actor who works hard to perform well, but was a sad man who had tendency for self-abuse. I guess that is how some men were in the 80s; they were supposed to hide their feelings from the world, and then act out on random kids on a private road because their not supposed to be there.

There's this group of hippie kids mostly composed of skinny women that Tarantino keeps on returning to in the film. One of those women engages in flirtatious looks with the Stuntman, who gives her a ride in Dalton's car. In the car, they make friendly exchanges, during which she offered to suck him, but he refused, because she would not be the reason why he would be sent to jail, if ever, no offense. The Stuntman would then later be presented with these scenarios that legitimize violent acts as self-defense, such as in the end of the movie. So I guess there's Tarantino's gender at play.

The main male characters displayed attitudes ranging from mildly to verbally averse of hippies, whose main political line in the film is that "actors are phony because they are pretending to die in films, when real people are being killed in Vietnam." The most symbolic and decisive aversiveness against hippies was when the main character's symbolic weapons, the dog and a flamethrower, were used to cause the vile deaths to the hippies who were then on a quest to kill the people who taught them how to kill, of course they failed because they were just kids poorly unprepared to kill anyone in the first place, even when their "victim" was tripping when they met him.

The film was about images of supposedly interesting people who were either satisfied or desperate about their careers. It also showed the sleek cars that used to traverse the roads of America. Thus, I was mostly unengaged by the film, being a person who doesn't like cars or male violence or coolness in the first place.

I was interested mostly by the coloring of the scenes, the houses they found for the production, the material culture of LA in the 80s, of neon light signages and movie houses where actors can randomly visit to quietly observe how people appreciate their work. It also hinted that cowboy films may have entertained most of America in the 70s.

I guess Tarantino tried to enrich the narrative using the story of an actor who was yet to come to terms with the bias of hollywood for youth and his inevitable relegation to unpopularity; there's also the attempt to look into the "life" of those actors who are not in the limelight, like the Stuntman, who lived in a trailer parked behind a drive-in theater, contrasting the beautiful home of Rick Dalton who lived in a "real estate" in Hollywood, which means he's there (at the center of it all) to stay, with neighbors like Polanski, who is married to a gorgeous woman, even though he looks like a nerdy 12 year old.

It's a hollywood film on hollywood, but you never see crazy crowds of screaming excited fans (like in Singing in the Rain), you see the quieter life of people who made their mark but whose fifteen minutes was over.

[ironstank]

WHEN A GIRL MEETS BOY

PAIRING(S): 40's!Bucky x Reader, Dum Dum Dugan x OFC Dotty

WARNING(S): Curse words 

WORD COUNT: 1973

AUTHOR’S NOTES: I wrote this on a whim and I love it so much fvlgffbnefjnf Bucky is actually my most favourite thing in the planet like he could punch me in the face with his metal arm (or what used to be his metal arm) and I would thank him for it. 

Listen to How About You by Judy Garland (1941), then You’ll Never Know by Alice Faye (1943)

MASTERLIST ( ! ) • PROMPTS ( ! ) • ASK BOX ( ! )

1943, SOMEWHERE BEHIND THE ENEMY LINES 

War was a mean place. You knew that better than anybody.

You were an army nurse, straight out of your father’s farm in England. But simply put, you were an army brat. Your father, an old veteran, now a farmer. Your mother, an old army nurse, now a wife of a farmer. Your brothers were also soldiers of war, like your grandfather, and his father before him, and his father before him.

1939, the army was recruiting. It was not voluntary. Anybody over the age of 18 and unmarried were expected to enlist. Your brothers saw it as an opportunity to mean something – to be a part of something bigger than themselves. But truth be told, they probably left to impress the ladies in town.

Nevertheless, your brothers run off with their heads held high and brave faces, but your father was not glad. He was not proud. He did not wave them goodbye with a smile on his face, his arm was not around your mother’s waist with a look of pride and joy. In fact, your brothers had left in the middle of the night, through the window, leaving all but a light kiss on your forehead before they had run off to the save their country. Four years had passed, and you had not heard from then since.

You hated them for it. And then you didn’t, because soon enough, you had done the same thing. You followed your mother’s footsteps like your brothers had followed your fathers. You had left with all but a daisy on your bed, and a red stained lip kiss on your favourite handkerchief your grandmother knitted you.

Now, you hated yourself for it.

Your lovely parents only ever wanted you to be safe – all of you. Your brothers, yourself – your parents always said they hated every second they ever spent in war.

Now you were somewhere in Italy, far, far, away from the safety of home. You, along with a dozen nurses you soon began seeing as the sisters you never had, were kidnapped and captured and became prisoners of war. You along with hundreds of Allied soldiers.

Many had come and gone. None came back. They were taken for something. Torture, interrogation, experiments, whatever it was it couldn’t have been good. You and your girls had been there for months. You didn’t speak German, but a Dorothy did. She was your friend.

SEVEN MONTHS AGO FROM TODAY, FOUR DAYS AFTER BEING TAKEN:

“What are they saying, Dotty?” You whispered towards her.

Dotty brushed her blonde hair away from her face. “They refuse to touch us.”

Mary, another friend of yours, whispered beside you. “Like what they’re doing to the soldiers?” She raised her brow.

Dotty nodded. All of you sat on the floor of the cage you were locked in. Her hand was raised on the bars as she stared at the NAZI soldiers. “Yes. Not until they capture more of us.”

You raised your brow. “Pardon me?”

“They need more women to experiment on, but they don’t have enough. They’re waiting until they catch more of us.” She gulped and spun around. “Then they’ll begin.”

“Jesus, Mary, and Joseph.”

The newest set of soldiers were American – mostly. You and the girls were used to British and French soldiers, actually, you’d met a couple of Australians along with way, too. They were all dead now. 

Winifred had already made friends. She was another nurse from your infantry. She asked them the same questions she always asked the newbies. What infantry are you from? How many of you? Any women with you? And, will there be anyone coming to save us?

On average, it took the Germans months to get through one infantry since there were hundreds of soldiers. Currently, your girls and the 107th infantry were on standby. They had arrived two months after you and your girls, making a total of five months of being imprisoned together.

Beside your cage, was a group of soldiers, none too savage and pig-headed, in fact, they were gentlemen. When they first arrived, they ratted you tired from their questions. None of which were about their safety, but instead, about yours.

“Are you ladies hurt?”

“How long have you been here?”

“Did those bastards touch you?”

“We’ll fucking kill them if they did.”

“C’mon, doll, don’t shy away, tell us the truth”

James Buchanan Barnes.

Oh, he was a dream. Mocha brown hair, bright blue eyes like heaven. His face was as handsome as he was kind. A total dreamboat, in your opinion. Young, handsome, brave, intelligent, and his smile was the brightest out of all. He became your best friend. In his cage, there was four of them left – once upon a time, there were twenty-two. When the Germans return, his odds weren’t so great.

He first met you when you were sat on the floor with the girls. The soldiers of war were crying, wailing, screaming, threatening. The 107th was new then, and one thing you and the girls had realised was that soldiers all went through the same stages. Anger, more anger, frustration, sadness, then acceptance.

And you were just about sick of it. Sure, you let them be, you allowed them to be men – to be human. But these men, goodness me, they’re anger lasted at least three times more than all the others.

Dotty’s head was on your lap, the other girls were also sitting and fiddling with each other’s hair. “I miss my victory rolls.” Dotty pouted.

You smiled softly and continued to brush your fingers through her blonde hair. “I know, darling.” Before you could say more, the sound of angry men fighting interrupted. Your words died before they were born. You remembered your life back at the farm; picking flowers, collecting eggs, milking the cows, picking strawberries. The sun seeped through your skin as the fresh, clean wind blew past your face. You’d be wearing a clean dress that always got dirty before noon arrived. Even then, there wasn’t anyone to judge you. And to past the time, you’d sing. You took a deep breath.

“When a girl meets boy / life can be a joy / but the note they end on / will depend on little pleasures they will share / so let us compare.”

Soon enough, the men of war began to silence. Dotty’s face turned to awe, and hundreds of eyes were on you.

“I like New York in June, how about you? / I like Gershwin tune, how about you? / I love a fireside when a storm is due / I like potato chips, moonlight and motor trips / How about you? / I’m mad about good books, can’t get my fill / and Franklin Roosevelt’s looks give me a thrill / holding hands at the movie show / when all the lights are low / may not be new, but I like it / how about you? / I like Jack Benny’s jokes / to a degree / I love the common folks / that includes me / I like to window shop on 5th Avenue / I like banana splits, late supper at the Ritz / How about you?”

“Doll?” Bucky’s voice broke through the crowd of soldiers.

Your eyes turned to his. And suddenly, it was only you and him. “Hi, Buck.”

He beamed. His eyes were just as tired as yours, and his heart probably as heavy. “What was your mother like?”

You smiled at his question. “Well, she was beautiful. A strong woman. She was also an army nurse, like me.” You smiled at the thought of your mother. “She’s every bit as hard-headed as I am.”

He held your index finger through the holes of the cage. “She sounds wonderful.”

You nodded, brushing your [Y/H/C] hair behind your ears. “She would have liked you.”

A soft and playful look washed over his face. “You’d want me to meet your Ma?”

You giggled and nodded once more. “I think you’d be the first man my mother would approve of.”

His posture straightened ever so slightly in pride. Then he paused, frowned, then turned to you. “You bring home men a lot?”

“No, silly.” You smiled, wiggling you finger that was in his hand. “I lived in a farm. Not a lot of guys like a lady who gets dirty.” 

Bucky huffed. “I do.”

Your smile widened. “I know.”

Silence came from the both of you, comfortable silence, anyway. You listened to the conversations of the others. Dotty had gotten herself an older fellow. She was as fond of him as he was of her. His name was Dum Dum Dugan. You received a wink from him as you caught his eye. You grinned. You hadn’t even noticed Bucky’s eyes on you until he spoke again. 

“They’ll be back soon, doll.”

Your face fell. No, no, no, no, no, this can’t be happening. “Don’t say that, Buck.” You whimpered.

His brows narrowed as he turned to you in concern and sadness. The tears in your eyes were threatening to fall. “Doll, don’t cry.” He whispered. His grabbed as much of your hand as he could, rubbing his thumbs on your skin. “Hey, hey, hey, don’t you do that to me, sweet girl, look at me.” And so you did. “Now, you know I love the sound of your voice. And your eyes, man that has to be one of my favourite things about you.”

Well, that was it. A tear had escaped and there was nothing you could do to stop it. “Buck … ”

He sighed, then chuckled drily. “I really wish I got to take you on a date.”

You sniffed then shook your head. “You will.” You nodded at him through your tears. “Oh, James, you will. Just survive, and when we get out of here, take me to dinner at your favourite restaurant. Take me to meet your ma, and your pal, Steve. You said they’d like me. You know how much I like being praised.”

Bucky’s eyes brightened. “That punk.” He chuckled. “Alright, I’ll even take you to meet the fellas at my barbershop. I already know Ma’s gonna love you. So will Rebecca.” – his baby (and favourite) sister out of four. You sighed and nodded. The comfort from his fingers seeped through you. “Can you do me a final favour, doll?”

Your eyes bounced from his left eye to his right. You’d already memorised the difference. The iris on his left eye was slightly larger. The one on his right had specks of darker blue. There were creases on the sides of his eyes. This man smiled so much, they left permanent evidence of it. The sides of his mouth twitched up as he noticed your stare. You had memorised his face as he had yours. “Sing for me, doll.”

You didn’t have to be told twice.

“You’ll never know just how much I miss you / you’ll never know just how much I care / and if I tried, I still couldn’t hide my love for you / you ought to know, for haven’t I told you so / a million or more times / went away and my heart went with you / I speak your name in my every prayer / If there is some other way to prove that I love you / I swear I don’t know how / you’ll never know if you don’t know now – ”

You couldn’t finish your song.

The Germans had come to take him in their arms.

THREE DAYS SINCE YOU’D SEEN BUCKY:

The sound of footsteps woke you up.

You blinked rapidly, your eyes desperate for clear sight.

“Who are you supposed to be?”

You began searching your surroundings until you spotted the source of the voice. A man was perched over the cages, hands ruffling in a bag. The commotion had gotten everybody’s attention.

“Captain America.” 

Dotty cocked her head from beside you. “Are you wearing tights?”

[alanakusumas]

Milestones (Slight Jake x F!MC)

Universe:  Endless Summer Word Count: 2322 (whoops) Rating: PG Prompt:  For #ChoicesCreates Week 5, hosted by @hollyashton and @cartoonfanforlife.  The prompt for this week was: “Mirror.” Summary: A picture speaks a thousand words.  But when you’re looking at not a still image, but what’s in front of you, the thoughts could be endless.  You tell your own story, through your own eyes, through your own parallels, and through your own reflection.

Side note: I posted another JakexF!MC earlier this week, and would love to receive feedback for it!  May or not be emotion-packed.  Check it out through this link:  http://ladysansaa.tumblr.com/post/159476264758/let-there-be-light-jake-x-fmc

——

-6 years old-

You stand in front of the mirror, watching the blonde pigtails that your aunt tied up bob up and down as you sway to the tempo of the pop song playing on the radio.  They were cute, but your costume isn’t.  Your puffy, cyan blue Cinderella dress seems to refuse to move with you, and because of that you groan in frustration.  It’s so itchy, and uncomfortable, you just want Halloween to be over with.  

Your aunt, Rebecca, strolls into your bedroom, tiara in hand. “What’s wrong, love? I don’t recall the part in Cinderella where she throws fits.”  She jokes, but it makes you even more upset.  

You cross your arms, trying to get the point across.  “I don’t like this costume.  It doesn’t look good on me.  I wanted to be cop.  Why can’t I be a cop?”  

“Sorry, love, I couldn’t find a police costume.  Next year, I promise.  And nonsense, you look adorable,” She tuts.  “But, if you insist, I think I might have just the solution…”  Your aunt waves the tiara ecstatically.  “I knew your dress was missing something, so I quickly drove to the store to buy you a crown, fit for royalty!”  

You stand still, arms remain folded, as she gently adjusts the tiara into your hair, careful not to poke you anywhere.  “There.  Now, you’re beautiful, princess.” 

You scoff and roll your eyes.  “I was always beautiful.” 

 -16 years old-

Orange sun rays pour into your window, signaling the commencement of yet another school day.  But, this wasn’t any typical school day.

You stand in front of the mirror, adjusting the navy blue and white tie you adorned over your white collared shirt.  The radish earrings you have dangling in your earlobes sway to the tempo of the latest Hayley Rose single.  

You’ve always loved the character Luna Lovegood from Harry Potter.  It hadn’t occurred to you until now that she would make a perfect costume.  As you face your reflection, you see yourself in Luna, as if the two of you have merged into one.  You feel like an oddball in high school, but, if Luna Lovegood can persevere through seven years of people snickering behind her back for doing what she loves, then you can do the same.  

It’s not that you don’t have friends, they’re just…acquaintances.  And you never felt at home with any of the cliques in high school.  You’re not lonely.  Just alone. A lone individual.    

“M/C! Time for breakfast!”  

“Coming Rebecca!”  You take a deep breath and admire your costume through the mirror one last time. You can’t wait for college.

-18 years old-

You stand in front of your dorm room’s mirror with the worst lighting possible, adjusting the mouse ears you fitted into your pin-straight, blonde hair.  As much as you’d like to go full-out Karen Smith, your subconscious suggests that perhaps wearing lingerie to your first college Halloween party would not be the wisest idea.  Earlier this week, you visited a thrift store, and managed to snag a flowy black dress and some pink ribbon to help create your makeshift Mean Girls-inspired costume.  You’ve been dying to finally have the freedom to be who you want to be – Not just on Halloween, but in life in general. College is your fresh start, and so far it has not disappointed.

From the corner of your eye, you notice a curly-haired boy in an oversized lab coat saunter into your room.  He gives you a once-over, amused, before he raises the question you’ve been preparing to hear the entire night.  

“What are you?”  

You exaggeratedly turn so you’re facing your new-found best friend Diego, jut your hip to your side, and point towards your mouse ears as if it’s the most obvious thing in the world.  “I’m a mouse, duh.”  

With Diego’s extensive knowledge of pop culture, you are not one bit surprised he detected your costume reference from down the hallway.  During the first week of college, you blasted a Hayley Rose classic, “Outlaw”, hoping to attract people to drop by and discuss their oh-so varying music tastes.  It turns out that your brilliant idea wasn’t so brilliant after all, but thank the heavens someone just as lame as you decided to pop in. 

Despite it only being a few weeks, you feel like Diego is the gem you’re destined to encounter, your partner-in-crime for the following years to come.  And you’re so thankful for him.  If by any circumstances you lose him in this journey through college, you honestly might lose yourself too.

-21 years old-

You literally skipped Halloween this year.  

You sit behind your group friends, all gathered in the lobby around Michelle and the birthday cake which Quinn set down on the table.  Quinn being Quinn, you have a feeling she’s going to bring out another cake when the clock strikes twelve, as your birthday follows right after Michelle’s.  

But in this moment, you could not care less about Michelle’s birthday.  You could not care less about yours.  You could not care less about yourself.  

You’ve lost a part of yourself recently; and the reality of it has been sinking into you, slowly killing your willpower, draining your energy, and made you completely numb on the inside.  

It could have been you.  

It shouldn’t have happened to Diego.  

You just want this to end.  

A wall of mirrors sit on the other side of the lobby.  In the reflection, you stare back at yourself, acknowledging the hopelessness of your current situation.  

“…Happy birthday dear Michelle, happy birthday to you!”  Your classmates sing at the top of their lungs. 

Amidst all the chaos you watch occur beyond the reflection, a striking army green jacket catches your attention.  You shift your eyes upward to catch a glimpse of Jake, only to find him already looking at you, eyebrow raised as his way of asking, “How you holdin’ up?”  

Subtly, you respond to him with a nod, and turn away.  You’re hurting, in more ways than any of your friends can imagine, but that doesn’t mean you should spoil the fun for him.  Jake deserves to be happy, even if it’s temporarily.  After all, that’s all you can promise him – temporary, right?  

All your life, you yearned for someone like Jake, for the special connection, the euphoric sensation you feel every moment you’ve spent with him.  But, there’s absolutely no possibility that the two of you will manage to be anything but strangers off this island. 

It was all too hopeless.  

  -24 years young-

You strut towards your work station at ClickIt! and set down your coffee, catching a glimpse of yourself in your monitor’s reflection.  The long and glittery, detailed braid that you styled this morning rests on top of your navy blue blazer, not moving a single inch from where you positioned it earlier today.  You never thought you’d dress up as a Disney princess ever again, yet here you are.  It’s a subtle costume, but you hope it gets the point across.  

Dani, your best friend and desk neighbor at the office, tries to swiftly roll her chair closer , but her eye patch and floppy pirate hat blocks her vision and she ends up colliding her chair into yours.

“Oouf, sorry!  Holy smokes, you make one flaming hot ice queen, M/C.  What’s the inspo?”  

“Oh, you know, nothing much…except for the fact that everyone in this office has been begging me to dress up as Elsa ever since I joined the team.  Oh, and nice oxymoron.”  Dani appreciates that you caught her witty play on words and shoots you a wink.  

“Hmm…do you think you could sprinkle some of that glitter in your hair onto TJ’s desk?  He could use the sparkle.  Or a spark. Turn the spark into an explosion and we’re talking.”  You slyly smile at each other.  

“Oh, I’ll be sure to whip my hair here and there when I pass by his corner.”  

The two of you try to get back to your own individual work, but the limited space between you two is a usual welcome for catching each other up on the hot gossip.

“So Dani, how’s it like being the new lead of #LoveHacks?  Does your team like you?”

“Oh yeah, we were all working together beforehand; it’s just that I’m in a ‘higher’ position than them now.  But they love it.  Neil and Alex are writing up this article about ‘the perfect coffee date’, and Stef is brainstorming some steamy ideas to spice up our brand.”

“Oh really?”  You smirk at the thought.  “I’d definitely read that.  Actually, I’d read all of Stef’s work.”  

“Yeah, she’s awesome.  What about you?  Are you finally going to stay in the office for a while?  Or is Martin sending you off on another #TripTips trip?  Heh, ‘#TripTips trip,’ try saying that ten times.”

You lean back in your chair, letting out a long exhale.  “Yeah, Vancouver was not fun. It rained the entire time I was there. Martin supposedly sent me my next project this morning, so I just gotta check my e-mail and find out.”  

You glance over at Dani, a look of uncertainty washing over your face.  “Is it bad that I want to stay cooped up in an office for eight hours a day?  I’ve been flying around the globe so much, I honestly think it’d be more cost efficient for the company to just buy me a private jet and personal pilot.”

Dani lets out a hearty chuckle.  “What can I say?  We always want what we can’t have.  If I were you, I’d drop everything and do as much travelling for my job as I can.”  

You beam at her optimism.  “In that case, wanna do the honours and look at my next assignment for me?”  

“Sure!”  You roll away from your desk, letting Dani take control.  She’s clicking away at your emails, meanwhile you’re looking around the office, noticing all the Halloween costumes for the first time since you got in.

In front of you, Dani lets out a gasp.  “Oooooohhh, I think you’re gonna like this assignment.  Martin’s really not taking you for granted, huh?”  Dani whips her head around, and you cock your eyebrow at her in suspicion.

“Well, are you gonna tell me what it is?”  

Your best friend rolls away from your computer, revealing your newest project. “M/C, you’re going to Costa Ricaaaaaaaaaaaa!”  

-26 years young-

You stand in front of the mirror, watching the blonde pigtails you tied up bob up and down as you sway to the tempo of the Spanish song playing from the radio.  The blue and pink you chalked up near the end of your pigtails doesn’t seem vibrant enough.  You grab the hair chalk still sitting on top of your vanity and begin rubbing more colour onto your ends.  

“Well, hello gorgeous,” A husky voice comes from behind.  You’ve been so busy perfecting your costume you barely noticed the love of your life, Jacob Lucas McKenzie, stroll into your room in an incredibly dashing indigo coat over a forest green dress shirt (which you picked out, of course).  

“That’s Dr. Harleen Quinzel for you, Jared.”  

Jake glares at you.  “Joker.”

“Jared.”  

“Joker.”

“Jared.”  

A familiar smirk lifts up the corner of his mouth.  “Are we about to have this conversation again?”  

“No, I’ll save it for later tonight,” You shoot a suggestive wink at him, “Ready to head out?”

“Yeah, just one more thing –“

Jake leans in and presses his lips roughly against yours, which earns him a questioning look from you.  “Mmm...What was that for?”

“Nothing.  Just…You’re beautiful, princess.”  

A small smile forms on your lips.  “As I’ve heard before.”

You take Jake’s hand and the two of you walk out of your hotel room.

“So,” Jake starts, “Costume ideas for next Halloween?”

“Hmm, I remember, in college, Diego always hyped up this game called ‘Uncharted’. Ever heard of it?”  

“Pfft, yeah.  I think he figured you grew tired of listening to him talk about his pop culture and La Huerta comparisons, ‘cause he was blurting it to the rest of us.”  

“I don’t know…maybe he just wanted to annoy you.  I mean, you did give him the worst nickname.”  

Jake flashes you a grin, which you gladly return.  “So, you think we should dress up as those guys from the video game?”

“Oh yeah,”  You chuckle, “Diego’s not wrong, you and I could definitely give Nathan Drake and Elena Fisher a run for their money..."

Bonus:

Chop!  

Nathan faces away from the living room, focusing on the giant carrot he has to quickly chop and throw into the soup brewing on the stove.  In the background, he hears the jingle of a mobile game coming from his wife’s phone.  “What chu playing there?”  He shouts.

“It’s this app called Choices,” Elena shouts back.  “They’re like the ‘Choose-Your-Own-Adventure’ books we had as a kid, except better, apparently.  I saw my coworker play it during break, and he convinced me to download it.  Oh hold on – quick time event.”  Nathan turns around from the kitchen counter and sees a head of blonde hair hovering intently over a phone.  

“Oh, really?”  He throws the chopped up carrots into the pot.  “So, what adventure are you facing tonight?”

“Just this book called ‘Endless Summer’, it’s about a bunch of college kids stuck on an island.  They even got a character choice that kind of looks like me, so that’s kinda cool.”  

Elena keeps tapping her screen.  “I already like this book so much, it kinda reminds me of what we used to do, y’know? Well, except much, much milder. But I think my own character’s got potential.  I can tell she’s well-rounded.”

Nathan turns the tap on to wash his hands.  “Mmhmm…anybody like me?”  

“We’ll see…ooooh.  Okay, she’s talking to this pilot in the cockpit now…ahaha!  Oh my god – Nate - this could totally be us in a parallel universe.  Forget Elena and Nate, hello, Elena and Jake.”  

“Wait, what?  Hold on, lemme take a look at this kid.”

[newyorktheater]

Michael Luwoye takes over the title role of Hamilton on Broadway, on the same day that Sara Bareilles, the creator of Waitress, takes on the lead role as Jenna, Peter Jöback the title role of The Phantom of the Opera. All have performed these roles on Broadway before.

Two reports show a nudge towards more diversity on Broadway, and elsewhere in New York theater as well — more nonwhite theater artists on stage, younger theatergoers in the audience. Details below, along with news about Leslie Odom Jr., a video of the American Theatre magazine panel discussion with directors Anne Bogart, Rachel Chavkin, Liesl Tommy, and Anne Kauffman; news and a slideshow about “Angels in America” cast. We bid goodbye to Javier Munoz in Hamilton, and watch while Bernadette Peters says Hello, Dolly. And, while there’s news (yet again) about harassment and high ticket prices, as well as fear’s effect on creativity, we are happy to end with Sarah Ruhl explaining her preference for happy endings, even though they’re not in vogue.

The Week in New York Theater Reviews

John Lithgow Stories from the Heart

John Lithgow, a Tony winner for his very first Broadway show in 1973, has decided to devote his 24th to the reading of two old short stories, Ring Lardner’s “Haircut” and “Uncle Fred Flits By” by P.G.Wodehouse. But “John Lithgow: Stories By Heart” differs from your basic library storytelling hour…Lithgow doesn’t just read the two stories; he performs them…Before each story, Lithgow also tells us at some length why they matter to him. These amount to something of a memoir of his father, and it is no denigration of the short stories to say that Lithgow’s well-told personal anecdotes are what provide much of the heart in Stories by Heart.

Pursuit of Happiness

What makes us happy? The clear if indirect answer in “Pursuit of Happiness” is a lot of laughs, since that’s what the Nature Theater of Oklahoma, a notoriously inventive downtown theater company, provides in their new theater piece. “Pursuit of Happiness” is a bizarre and hilarious hybrid of physical comedy and surreal Hollywood parody, which swings wildly from the Wild West to the Iraq War, and from wondrously slapstick to borderline offensive to surreptitiously insightful.

The Hendrix Project

It’s New Year’s Eve 1969, and a dozen fans are in the balcony of the Fillmore East watching a concert by Jimi Hendrix and his electronic blues trio, Band of Gypsys, nine months before Hendrix dies. That is a summary of “The Hendrix Project,” running at BRIC through January 14, as part of the Under the Radar Festival. That is also more or less all there is to say about it. We in the audience spend an hour watching the fans in the balcony as they watch the concert.

Mikaela Bennett as Acquanetta in the opera “Acquanetta”

Acquanetta

“Acquanetta,” [is an opera] inspired by a cult horror film of the 1940s, “Captive Wild Woman,” and by its alluring and mysterious star, who went by the stage name Acquanetta. The most charitable thing I can say about the opera, which is running through January 14 at the Gelsey Kirkland Arts Center, is that Mikaela Bennett’s performance as Acquanetta provided some occasional sparks, and Deborah Artman’s lyrics were at times intriguing, but  “Acquanetta” was simply not for me.

Disco Pigs

Enda Walsh, best known in the U.S. for the Broadway musical “Once,” first gained fame as the playwright of a furious burst of a play he wrote in five days about two intense and inseparable teenagers who share a birthday and a private language….Luckily, there is an energetic rhythm and vividness to Walsh’s prose that two good actors can make more accessible with their bodies, turning the language visual and physical. Colin Campbell and Evanna Lynch (best known as Luna Lovegood in the Harry Potter films) do just that.

Mankind

Mankind [is] a fun comedy that turns berserk about a future world in which women are extinct…O’Hara’s premise is promising, his inspiration laudable, and his stated intentions honorable.. But, ultimately, “Mankind” is muddled. If it does establish the tone of a satiric cautionary tale, it’s not always clear what it is satirizing or what it’s cautioning against.

The Week in New York Theater News

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Beth Malone (Fun Home) will play the Angel at select performances of Angels in America. Also joining Nathan Lane and Andrew Garfield in the cast are: Patrick Andrews, Glynis Bell, Amy Blackman, Curt James, Rowan Ian Seamus Magee, Mark Nelson, Matty Oaks, Genesis Oliver, Jane Pfitsch, Lee Aaron Rosen, Ron Todorowski, Silvia Vrskova and Lucy York.

The two-part play opens at the Neil Simon on March 25., 2018.

Encores Off-Center season at New York City Center:

Songs for a New World, Jason Robert Brown Jun 27 – 30

Gone Missing, book by Steve Cosson, music by the late Michael Friedman Jul 11 and 12

Don’t Bother Me, I Can’t Cope, by Micki Grant and the late Vinnette Carroll Jul 25 – 28

  Bette Midler’s ended her run in Hello, Dolly on January 14.   Bernadette Peters will be taking over the role of  Dolly Gallagher Levi on January 20th.

  Leslie Odom Jr. as Aaron Burr

Leslie Odom Jr. Will Sing at the Super Bowl LII on February 4, the second year in a row that original cast members of Hamilton appear during the premiere football game of the year

Crowds remain white and female and primarily tourists, but younger people and New Yorkers are making up a larger portion of the Broadway audience, according to the Broadway League’s report, The Demographics of the Broadway Audience for the 2016–2017 season. There were 13.3 million admissions to Broadway shows. New Yorkers – 22 percent, highest in 15 years (tourists 61 percent) Under 25 – 25 percent Female – 66 percent Playgoers tended to be more frequent theatregoers than musical attendees. The play attendee saw nine shows in the past year; the musical attendee, four. About half of respondents said they purchased their tickets online, although those who live outside the U.S. were more likely to buy their tickets in person.

Theatergoers reported personal recommendation as the most influential factor when it came to selecting a show to see. Other factors included the music, having seen the movie, internet listings and having seen the show before.

Thirty-five percent of all roles on Broadway and in the 16 largest non-profit theater companies in New York City went to actors of color and disabled actors, according to a another report, conducted by AAPAC (the Asian American Performers Action Coalition, Ethnic Representation on New York City Stages 2015-2016. (Details here) That is better than the average over the ten years that AAPAC has been conducting the study.

  https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/08/theater/2018-kleban-prize-winners.html?utm_content=buffer22fcd&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer

The Kleban Prize, named after the Tony-winning lyricist of A Chorus Line, along with $100,000 apiece, was awarded to Alan Schmuckler (“Diary of Wimpy Kid The Musical”) and Amanda Yesnowitz (“Somewhere in Time”),  for their lyrics, Christian Duhamel (“My 80-Year-Old Boyfriend”) for his libretto .

Google Starts Vetting Broadway Ticket Resellers

  Blockbuster shows are finding new life Off-Broadway

Can a filmed performance, even live streamed, do justice to live theater? 

Why Fear may be killing your creativity

Panel discussion with directors Anne Kauffman(Marvin’s Room), Rachel Chavkin (Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812), Anne Bogart (SITI Company), and Liesl Tommy (Eclipsed)

Ransom Center at the University of Texas at Austin has acquired the archives of Arthur Miller, from his first play “No Villain” (1936), written when Miller was at the University of Michigan, to “Finishing the Picture” (2004), produced just months before his death.

USA. Roxbury, CT. 1962. Playwright Arthur Miller at his desk with daughter Rebecca.

From the Arthur Miller Archives

Inside the Battle for Arthur Miller’s Archives

The Ransom Center has bought the entire archive for $2.7 million, following a discreet tug-of-war with the Miller estate, which tried to place the papers at Yale University despite the playwright’s apparent wishes that they rest in Texas.

For her latest play, Adrienne Kennedy, 86, wrote while angry, which is how she’s written for 50 years. “Things are just boiling inside me. I keep a lot of notes and then suddenly it emerges. Every word.”

On first day of the final COIL festival, Performance Space 122 has a new name — Performance Space New York — new website , new logo, &and a newly renovated space, under a new director Jenny Schlenzka. But the same Twitter name — @PS122

The Artist Co-op (TAC) will be holding a conversation on sexual harassment in the theater, moderated by Claire Karpen, with Diana Oh, Shakina Nayfack, and Alexis Williams, on January 19th, 2018, 12:00 PM 2:00 PM, in person at 500 West 52nd Street, and on Facebook Live. There will be an on-site community counselor.

Art is not sacred – the abuse of power must end – by R.M. Vaughn in The Globe and Mail

  Howard Sherman: Should we really be celebrating record-breaking Broadway box office results?

(That’s why I think that the statistics should emphasize attendance figures, not box office receipts.)

His final performance today: Thank you @JMunozActor for performing in @HamiltonMusical from the get-go, & for speaking out on issues that matter. pic.twitter.com/BrGY0Y3H30

— New York Theater (@NewYorkTheater) January 14, 2018

Playwright Sarah Ruhl

Sarah Ruhl on Happy Endings

Happy endings are not in vogue…

It could be that I wrote more happy endings once I had children. I was looking less at the afterlife and more at the ground. Tolstoy said, “All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.” And so Tolstoy furthered the myth of unhappiness as a marker of uniqueness. What if happy endings are also unique unto themselves; and each search to find them as rare and singular as the proverbial snowflake.

Hamilton, Waitress, Phantom Cast New Leads. Broadway’s Getting More Diverse. Week in NY Theater Michael Luwoye takes over the title role of Hamilton on Broadway, on the same day that Sara Bareilles, the creator of Waitress, takes on the lead role as Jenna, Peter Jöback the title role of The Phantom of the Opera.

[rockrevoltmagazine]

SHOW REVIEW: Against Me! in Pittsburgh, PA

Punk veterans Against Me! are no strangers to the road. They have been touring like crazy for the last six weeks. In fact, their current tour will end with a stop at the end of this month at The Fest in Gainesville, Florida (where they will play Reinventing Axl Rose in its entirety for the lucky ducks who get to see that show!). However, if you have not seen them live, you are more than missing out. From reveling in the crowd to playing their hearts out on stage, frontwoman Laura Jane Grace and friends (James Bowman on guitar, Atom Willard on drums, and Inge Johansson on bass) leave everything on the stage. Additionally, when Laura Jane is on the mic, nothing is left unsung. They play a powerful show that would fill arenas as easily as it fills the smaller clubs where they seem to do their best work. There’s something to be said about a band like that, and I personally prefer the word stellar. 

On Sunday, October 8, they rolled into the Pittsburgh area and set up shop at the legendary Mr. Smalls Theatre for what would assuredly be a night no one could forget. To start, the night’s two supporting acts, The Dirty Nil and Bleached, did precisely what they were supposed to do – provided killer sets in their own right that were the perfect catalyst to get the packed house ready for what was to come. Well, as ready as possible. Truthfully, there is no real way to be completely ready for the explosive, positive energy that Against Me! brings to the stage. 

Starting up the night with “True Trans Soul Rebel,” Grace commanded the crowd’s attention, and everyone was more than willing to heed the command. Everywhere around, voices were heard singing every word back to Grace as she asked each of us in the crowd, “Who’s going to take you home tonight?” Moving seamlessly from one song to the next, Grace peppered in little tidbits of conversation between the songs, but never for long. I actually noted that I have never seen four people smile and laugh so much on stage as they do. In a world that can seem mighty bleak to a lot of people, concerts are a place of refuge and happiness. It was clear that those in the crowd weren’t the only ones who found that sense of joy and freedom to just simply exist inside the walls of Mr. Smalls. And, the giant inflatable ghost from the local Halloween store sure did a lot in showcasing the fun-loving nature of the band! 

  Instrumentally, the band is solid. On drums, Atom Willard is unmatched in terms of talent, and that was on full display. Inge Johansson absolutely mesmerized the crowd; from high kicks and broad smiles to head bangs and a shimmy or two on stage, his stage presence simply brought another layer to his skills on the strings. James Bowman’s guitar is a thing of beauty. Moreover, the way he masterfully played it that night only served to enhance that beauty. His confidence on stage was steady and quiet – he played with the air of someone you’d want on your zombie apocalypse team. He’s totally a master, he’s got this, now just come along for the ride; trust him. And, of course, Laura Jane Grace makes her guitars sing like no one I have ever seen. From electric to acoustic, it is clear she is most at home with her instrument in her hands. Vocally, she absolutely killed it that night, and I was shocked to find out later that she hadn’t been feeling well. As she danced around the stage, talked to the crowd, even reached out to touch a hand or two from the pit, Laura Jane Grace was the picture of what a frontwoman should be – strong, confident, humble enough to interact with those who admire her, at home on the stage, and a force to be reckoned with at her craft. 

  Taking the crowd on a massive twenty-eight song setlist, Against Me! visited their roots with tracks like “Reinventing Axl Rose” and “Those Anarcho Punks are Mysterious…” Fan favorites, “I Was a Teenage Anarchist,” “New Wave,” “Thrash Unreal” and “Unconditional Love” were firmly settled in next to some of their newer tracks from 2016’s Shapeshift With Me, “Delicate, Petite, and Other Things I’ll Never Be” and “Rebecca.” However, the night was brought to an amazing crescendo with a moving and high energy tribute to the late, great Tom Petty. Grace has been very vocal in her admiration and appreciation of Petty, and his legacy has left a huge mark on her musically. In fact, his loss wasn’t mourned, but rather celebrated, with an absolutely breathtaking version of “Runnin’ Down a Dream.” In effect, it rivaled any version that the Heartbreakers could come up with themselves, that’s for sure. 

Even after killing it through twenty-two songs, Against Me! came back out for a whopping six-song encore. Speaking of encore, can we talk about Laura Jane Grace’s rendition of “The Best Ever Death Metal Band in Denton” by the Mountain Goats? Her version of that song is so beautifully done and so rich with her voice and the sound of her guitar, that it solidly rivals (some may say surpasses) the original. Check it out if you haven’t. The encore seemed to be one of the highlights of the night for some, as everyone gave their last little bit to Laura Jane and friends. An encore usually isn’t a time for the crowd to be more wiped out than the band, but as I witnessed, an Against Me! show isn’t like any other show around. 

Sadly, at the end of the night, no one seemed to want to say goodbye. Unfortunately, the little bubble of joy and love that had surrounded us was slowly leaking, sure to pop with a burst no one wanted to face. Notably, the crowd shuffled out of the room slowly around me, as if to try to stretch the ends of that bubble as far as they could. Everyone had a smile on their face, high-fiving and hugging. Frequently, each person who passed by me seemed to want to carry on the magic. Conversations like, “That was killer!” “That’s the best I have ever seen them, and I’ve seen sixteen shows!” and “I can’t believe I finally got to see them live!” filled the air. The love and gratitude that the crowd had for the band and their performance was palpable. In short, I don’t think I’ll ever forget how that felt to share that space with them, as amazed and transfixed as everyone else around me, from start to finish.

For the most part, some of us wiped away tears while others wiped away sweat, and it was clear that Against Me! had made a mark on everyone that night. By and large, the mind-blowing performance was more than just a vehicle for a message of acceptance and resistance, love over evil, or trying to be up even when you’re down. Surely, the show that night meant to much to so many in the crowd. Further, some fans even expressed surprise at how much better the show was than they had expected it was going to be, simply because they’d never experienced them live before. Ultimately, like Laura Jane Grace says, “Sometimes the party takes you places that you didn’t really plan on going…” 

All in all, if you haven’t had the chance to catch this tour, get yourselves out there and go! Old punk or new, fan since the beginning or fan since last night, it doesn’t matter. On the whole, this show is one you do not want to miss. 

TOUR DATES: 

October 17, 2017                             Norfolk, VA                         The NorVa

October 18, 2017                             Charlotte, NC                     Neighborhood Theater

October 20, 2017                             Nashville, TN                      Cannery Ballroom

October 21, 2017                             Asheville, NC                      The Orange Peel

October 22, 2017                             Atlanta, GA                         Center Stage Theater

October 24, 2017                             Ft Lauderdale, FL              Culture Room

October 25, 2017                             Tampa, FL                            Big Pre-Fest

October 26, 2017                             Tampa, FL                            Big Pre-Fest

October 28, 2017                             Gainesville, FL                    The Fest

[ngg_images source=”galleries” container_ids=”1169″ display_type=”photocrati-nextgen_basic_slideshow” gallery_width=”600″ gallery_height=”400″ cycle_effect=”fade” cycle_interval=”10″ show_thumbnail_link=”1″ thumbnail_link_text=”[Show thumbnails]” ngg_triggers_display=”never” order_by=”sortorder” order_direction=”ASC” returns=”included” maximum_entity_count=”500″]

True Trans Soul Rebel

I Was A Teenage Anarchist

ProVision L-3

From Her Lips to God’s Ears (The Energizer)

Miami

New Wave

Up the Cuts

Jordan’s First Choice

Walking Is Still Honest

Haunting, Haunted, Haunts

Delicate, Petite & Other Things I’ll Never Be

Runnin’ Down a Dream (Tom Petty cover)

Unconditional Love

Those Anarcho Punks Are Mysterious…

333

Rebecca

Transgender Dysphoria Blues

The Ocean

Bamboo Bones

Reinventing Axl Rose

Black Me Out

Thrash Unreal

Encore:

The Best Ever Death Metal Band in Denton  (The Mountain Goats cover) Two Coffins Pints of Guinness Make You Strong Baby, I’m an Anarchist! Sink, Florida, Sink We Laugh at Danger (And Break All the Rules)

Connect with Against Me! (click icons):

Review by Devon Anderson, RockRevolt Managing Editor Photographs by freelance contributor, Devon Keller

SHOW REVIEW: Against Me! in Pittsburgh, PA was originally published on RockRevolt Mag

[legos-lass]

@astrolindsey​ u dont have to read all of this youre my fiance and ik you love me already

1. Favorite (Reprise)

honestly part of your old (reprise) from the little mermaid (alan menken) just THOSE HIGH NOTES MMM. i love theres a fine fine line (reprise) from avenue q cuz its adorable but it is like two lines so.

2. already answered

3. If you could go back in time to see a certain production, which one would it be?

AMERICAN IDIOT WHEN BILLIE WAS ST. JIMMY. NO EXPLANATION NEEDED.

4. Who should write a musical?

i would watch the shit out of an existentialist comedic musical written by bo burnham. hes so hilarious and his songs are so catchy sjiowehefhe.

5. The routine you recreate when home alone:

every. part. of. one. day. more. from. les. mis. simultaneously.my bio used to be something like “my main hobby is recreating all eight parts of one day more by myself” and it is still true. but also hello! from bom but it fails miserably because i try to act out all the parts oof ouch.

6. A duet you’d love to perform and with whom.

if you were gay from avenue q with me as rod and john tartaglia as nicky. now hear me out ik john is supposed to be rod and rick lyon is supposed to be nicky but 1. rod is like My Role™ and as much as i also love rick, john was my fave member of the obc and ik he can do different voices well so...yeah hes gonna be nicky now so i can sing with him.

7. A musical everyone can learn from.

here we go again but avenue q. wowie zowie i like went through a midlife crisis the first time i listened to it but for now actually? changed? my? life? and everyones a little bit racist i mean cmon read my bio. theres so much about it that is so useful even if it seems a bit pessimistic. also elder price from bom learning to use his mission to actually help others and not just to be treated really well if heaven is some good shit but avenue q wins cuz i wasnt religious to begin with.

8. already answered

9. Favorite person to play (insert role)

okay well im gonna fill this in myself and say elder price and say MY BOY THE ETERNALLY PERFECT NIC ROULEAU I CANT BELIEVE I GOT TO SEE HIM ON BROADWAY AND MEET HIM!!!

10. Best digital #ham4ham

uhhhh well like i said in my last post i dont like hamilton really so i have no idea what this means sorry

11. Make up a name and the ingredients for a Waitress pie.

okay well ive only just started listening to waitress and im not nearly as creative with names (or passive aggressive with them) as jenna but uh i really like chocolate pie but ive never seen a nutella one so. yeah that sounds delicious. the name would be something about remington leith idk.

12. already answered

theres no 13 i guess cuz it is unlucky lmao

14. Express your love for the orchestras!

*inhales* GOD THE ORCHESTRA JUST MAKES THE MUSICAL. GO LISTEN TO ANY SONG FROM LES MIS AND TRY NOT TO GET CHILLS FROM THE INSTRUMENTALS I DARE YOU.

15. Favorite musical written by (insert composer, lyricist)

well lynz youre a FOOL and didnt send me a composer or lyricist so im just gonna reiterate that i love les mis it has been my favorite musical for so many years and i cant believe that my friend ryan saw it on broadway and i didnt.

16. Which part (or parts) do you sing in One Day More?

but especially my love eponine

17. A line that never fails to make you laugh.

runs to get my official avenue q script that i spent $20 on to make sure i get the line perfectly right

rod: well--i have this friend--

christmas eve: nicky?

r: no no--another friend. and i think he has a very big problem. i think--ithink my friend is (whispers) gay

ce: what wrong with that? you know rod. gay people make major contribution ro art and philosophy and literature for many hundreds of years now

r: but my friend isnt an artist--hes a republican. and an investment banker.

ce: ew. well tell him to stay in closet then. he good for nothing.

r: (a moment) ...well okay! great! thanks for the advice!

ce: yeah i wouldnt want a friend like that!

r: thanks again!

ce: bye now (she goes inside)

rod: bye bye! (beat. to the audience) ...shit.

18. An upcoming production you’re excited for.

DEAR EVAN HANSEN US TOUR

19. Do you have any funny misheard lyrics from a showtune?

yknow im sure i do but i cannot think of any right now...all i can think of is i used to think (on my own) “the trees are full of starlight” was “the tree’s are fluff’s delight” i have no idea what that means but it made sense to my young mind

20. A musical you would NEVER see with your parents.

avenue q. hahahahahahaha no puppet sex with rebecca and michael. but lets be honest my mum wants to go back to the city to see it off broadway since only i got to see it and if shes gonna buy me a ticket im totally seeing it again idc.

21. Musicals can introduce you to new cultures, interests, fancy words and so on. Name 3 things you’ve learned form musicals.

bom: literally everything i know about the church of jesus christ of latter day saints is from this musical except for polyamory and salt lake city.

hamilton: alexander was NOT a president. i really dont care about us history whoops

les mis: I Learned Im Not Straight Because Of Samantha Barks

22. Favorite OBC.

avenue q mmmmm love u john tartaglia

23. Cast recording you know by heart.

les mis movie sountrack i literally have like 98% of this musical memorized

24. Cast recording for a long car ride.

grease (movie soundtrack) is a bop and my whole family likes it *fingerguns*

25. Favorite Miscast performance.

i havent listened to too many and ik this one doesnt really count but idc cuz i love it. nic rouleau singing go the distance from hercules is my sexuality.

26. already answered

27. Showtune of the day:

im gonna go with two by two from bom cuz im listening to it right now and suidfuesrf it just kills me -the fucking chicken waddling walk ass choreography -WE ARE THE ARMY OF THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST oflatterdaysaints -ORLANDOOOOO I LOVE YA ORLANDOOOO -PUTT putt golfINGGGGG -arnold: thats me thats me hello. kevin: oh. hi! in the most fucking “:)” voice ever

28.  Who would play you in a musical about your life?

i would hope samantha barks (les mis 25th anniversary and movie eponine) cuz we have similar ranges and shes so beautiful and she is my Favorite Theatre Actress

29. Who would play your best friend in a musical about your life?

im gonna go with dana steingold (ave q current kate/lucy) really for no other reason than shes adorable and has a versatile voice and seems really sweet. i feel like we would be friends in real life.

30.  Who would play your romantic interest in a musical about your life?

honestly like maybe ben durocher (ave q current princeton/rod)? idk he just has a voice that i love and looks adorable in his glasses

31. already answered

32. Describe yourself with 3 musical theatre characters.

eponine from les mis (what a surprise), kate monster from avenue q, sophie from mamma mia

33. A character that inspires you to be better. (does la la land count? im counting it) mia from la la land cuz she has a similar personality to me but less Anxiety which ends up helping her achieve her dream. i want to be like that

34. A showtune that always puts you in a good mood. bend and snap from legally blonde idk it’s just so fun and makes me feel confident it is nice

35. A showtune that makes you feel melancholic. there are worse things i could do from grease

36. Best showstopper. i believe from bom oh my gosh when i heard nic rouleau sing it live for the first time i had GOOSEBUMPS and it has just the right amount of humor to bootedit: OH JUST KIDDING LOVE U BOM BUT DEFINITELY BEING ALIVE FROM COMPANY OH Y GOD. I CANT CHOOSE BETWEEN NEIL PATRICK HARRISS’ VERSION AND RAUL ESPARZA’S THEY BOTH GIVE ME SHIVERS

37. A place you consider to be your Santa Fe. this must be from a musical i havent seen? idk well it looks really beautiful and not very busy so i guess...oakland? it feels like home to me

38. The name of the prettiest theater you’ve been to. eugene o’neill theatre (bom on broadway) was lovely. i had standing room only tickets so i didnt really get to experience it cuz i was stuck in the back under the mezzanine (still great view though) but i looked around a bit during intermission and the was very royal looking and they had a nice bar area upstairs with CHAIRS I COULD USE

39. The most intense scene from a musical. mmm thats tough. from the little ive seen of moulin rouge so far the tango de roxanne part looks really crazy. so is the cell block tango from chicago. or honestly a LOT of american idiot...i love how badass letterbomb is

40. A great cover of a showtune: i really love this male cover of maybe this time from cabaret (i found this thanks to hetalia 2p!america fanart lmao)

41. Put your phone on suffle and write the first 2 showtunes that appear. 1. master of the house from les mis (10th anniversary)2. mamma mia from mamma mia (original cast)

42. Best design of a Playbill. i love effective minimalism so once

[jordan--fox-blog]

The Movies I Loved This Oscar Season

Thursday nights are the best time to go to a movie. I went to so many Thursday night movies this season I lost count. It was great. I heard a couple taking turns making fun of Natalie Portman's accent in 'Jackie.' I heard some teens say 'The Witch' "f**king sucked." I lost one of my gloves under a seat at FilmStreams during a showing of '20th Century Women' and I'm pretty sure it's still down there somewhere. I cried several times (not because of the glove). Later in the season, Thursday Night Movies became a good two-hour escape from the late-capitalist nightmare that was our election.

There were many movies I'd have liked to have seen but didn't — 'Fences', 'I Am Not Your Negro' and 'Toni Erdmann' chief among them — but alas I am a poor journalist on a tight budget who has a busy schedule and many hot dates to go on. (JOKES) Here are the ones I did see and liked the best:

******

25. The Neon Demon

Nicolas Winding Refn has always been a brand — how long has he been putting his initials in the opening credits of his movies? — a brand that traffics entirely in synth pop, a-little-too-on-the-nose metaphors and empty provocation, but a brand nonetheless. He’s out of ideas and selling knock offs now, but I’m still buying.

  24. 10 Cloverfield Lane

23. Midnight Special

Sticking the landing on sci-fi movies is hard. These two would have been a lot higher on this list if they had. Still, I was fully in for about 90 minutes.

22. The Witch

A horror movie that has exactly zero scary moments and does its damage as a slow-burn parable about radicalism. Some teens leaving the same screening as me said it best: “What the f**k was that? It wasn’t even scary.”

21. Everybody Wants Some!!

Some of this was problematic but dudes lip syncing ‘Rapper’s Delight’ while tooling around + baseball trash talk = a great sports movie.

  20.  Star Wars: Rogue One

Luke Skywalker sucks. This is maybe not The Best Star Wars but it is the purest distillation of what I like about the franchise and the last hour kicks so much ass.

19.  La La Land

A totally fine and gorgeous movie that I loved in the theater and took almost nothing away from when I thought about it a week later! Seriously, how is this the Oscar frontr– **is attacked by a mob**

18.  Krisha

This is definitely a monster movie. Though I can’t tell who the monster is. Is it Krisha or the people who put the expectations on her? Almost everyone in this movie was at fault in some way and none of the transgressions would be that serious or uncommon in an ordinary family gathering — and that’s what makes it scary.

17.  Oasis: Supersonic

“Writing songs is difficult; talking shit is easy.” I hope the Gallagher brothers live forever.

16.  Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping

This and the Oasis documentary would make a good double feature. The only thing that you need to know about how absurd things get: A song about how the Mona Lisa is “the original basic bitch” is maybe like the third-funniest one.

 15.  Sing Street

Everybody’s done something stupid because they have a crush. It happens to me like once a week. I thought this did a much better job of expressing what ‘La La Land’ was trying to without having Ryan Gosling explain jazz to women.

  14.  Christine

This has almost nothing going for it outside of Rebecca Hall and was still the most gutting thing I saw this year. I think I was grimacing or biting my hand to keep from screaming the whole time.

13.  Love and Friendship

As a big fan and practitioner of pettiness, cattiness, jealousy, shallowness, greed, ego, being judgemental, side-eye, selfishness, gossip, manipulation, deceptiveness and lying,  I thoroughly enjoyed this movie.

12.  Hell or High Water

Miss me with the Trump subtext and casual racism, but I am very here for Chris Pine and Jeff Bridges codedly threatening each other through Texan drawls in rocking chairs.

11. The Invitation

Never go to parties, they will literally kill u.

10. The Nice Guys  

Gosling is the best physical comedy actor of our generation. His best acting move is “jumping back in surprise” and I absolutely mean that as a compliment.

9.  Manchester By The Sea

I don’t think this movie had anything to say — surprising because it was directed by a guy primarily known as a writer? — but its high notes are better than just about anything else in this cycle.

 8.  The Lobster

“We all dance by ourselves. That’s why we only listen to electronic music.”

  7.  Jackie

Natalie Portman is so good and committed to this that it sometimes feels exploitative to even be watching at all. Heartbreaking to see a person lose everything — time, legacy, work, status, love, truth — in an instant.

6.  American Honey

Who even needs focus or form when you have this much feeling?

5. O.J.: Made in America

I watched all eight hours in one sitting on a June day when my A/C was broken, and I would have gone another eight. Ezra Edelman does a good job of bringing you out of the spectacle by reminding you that TWO PEOPLE DIED.

 4.  A Bigger Splash

This pretended to be a lot of different things — a meditation on fame, a Fellini pastiche, an all-time Cool Sunglasses Movie, a Ralph Fiennes dancing showcase — but none of those ever overshadowed the dread that permeated or the feeling that every bitten tongue or sigh was moving things closer to a cataclysm. It ultimately was ‘Strangers on a Train’ about the people who know us the best.

3.  Moonlight

There isn’t a thing about this movie that wasn’t beautiful.

2. Arrival

Ooo0oooOO0oo (that’s Heptapod for “I adore ‘Arrival’”).

Denis Villenueve does this thing I love where he undermines the ostensible premises of his movies. He’s been unsympathetic in the past: The played-up parts of Prisoners were about the selfish obsessions of individual men instead of the hunt for lost children; Sicario was never really as focused on the innocents affected by the drug trade as it was on an allegory about the nature of truth. But with Arrival he inverts it, rendering a large-scale sci-fi mind-ruiner into a beautiful meditation on parenthood and experience. I loved it.

Also if Bradford Young doesn’t win the cinematography Oscar somebody’s gonna have to hold me back.

1.  20th Century Women

I love my mom, Talking Heads and David Bowie. The shot where Annette Benning drives the car up the hill with her son alongside on his skateboard made me feel about eight different emotions at once and made me want to scream.

******

Honorable Mention: Hail Caesar!, High Rise, Patterson, Our Kind of Traitor, Creative Control, Ghostbusters, The Shallows, Dr. Strange

******

Come back next year when this list is just ‘Blade Runner 2049′ listed 25 times. Thanks!!!