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valiantstarlights · 5 months ago

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I'm feeling an overwhelming desire to know about 1589 start and Which Hob. So, whichever one of you want to do would please me greatly

'Which Hob' is the Which Hob Gadling Are You? Quiz! 🥰 It's already finished, but many people (including myself 😂) have inconclusive results, so I'm working on making a longer one with more questions. Hopefully, one Hob among all the Hobs inside of us 😏 will emerge victorious. ✨

So let's talk about 1589 start. 😊 In this fic, Hob is born Robert Gadlen in 1555. He goes on to earn a knighthood, marry Eleanor, have Robyn, and live a pretty normal life. That is, until June 7, 1589, when Eleanor is giving birth to their second child. (TW: canon death)

It goes badly, like in canon. Death arrives with Dream. (He is once again accompanying her while she does her duty.) They enter the room to find Hob beside Eleanor's birthing bed, weeping as he holds his wife's cold hand in his own while the baby gasps for air in his arms. Death is about to lead Eleanor and the baby away to the Sunless Lands when Hob sees them and begs for his wife and child to live. He still hasn't accepted that Eleanor is gone.

Eleanor's spirit (who Hob can't see), is gazing mournfully at her husband and child. She knows her child is going to come with her soon, so she just asks Death and Dream if they could please take care of her husband.

Orpheus's death is still fresh in Dream's mind, so he also asks his sister to help this family. Death thinks about it, but ultimately agrees. She tells Hob that she cannot save Eleanor, but she can make sure that the baby lives. She would take his children when it's their time, far into the future, but she will never take him. He will live forever. And no one will ever see or remember him. Except the Endless.

Hob doesn't even blink at the idea of living forever like a ghost. He immediately agrees without thinking about the consequences of his decision. Death allows him to spend the rest of the day making arrangements for his children and his household, before he disappears completely from their memory the following day.

Dream spends the day with Hob while Death leaves for her other appointments. He helps Hob as much as he can, and Hob allows him to rock the baby (Hope) in his arms while he writes heartfelt letters to his children.

In the evening, when everything has been settled, Eleanor to be buried within the week, the children already in bed and arranged to be raised by Hob's trusted friends in court, household funds allocated, and all sorts of letters written to explain Hob's 'disappearance at sea,' Hob goes to the White Horse Tavern to drink, and Dream accompanies him.

Marlowe and Shaxberd are still there, but Dream pays them no mind this time. Hob drinks and mourns, and Dream sits silently beside him in support.

"I don't regret it," Hob says. He's already slurring a little, eyes blinking slowly and tracing the wood grain of the table as if they were swirling galaxies. "Robyn and Hope are going to have a good life. Probably an even better one compared to what I could give them, given..." He gulps and doesn't finish the sentence. He looks like he's about to throw up. "I don't...I don't regret it."

Dream says nothing. On the table between the two of them, the venison pasties he ordered for Hob stay untouched.

"Is it terrible?" Hob asks, after a while. He has been steadily hunching in on himself as the night progresses. "Being immortal, I mean?"

"Not always," Dream says truthfully, his tone as gentle as he could make it. "There are moments of joy as well."

Hob chuckles humorlessly. "Just moments, eh?"

"I am not good at this," Dream admits, regret tainting his tone. "I am...melancholy in nature. Perhaps it would be better for you to ask my sister--"

"No, no, not at all." Hob says, waving away Dream's suggestion before he could even finish voicing it. "I like this. Talking to you. You're a good listener, my lord."

It was on the tip of Dream's tongue to tell Hob his name, but he lets the moment pass in silence and only inclines his head in acknowledgement of the statement.

"I am grateful," Hob says, eyes dark and steady as he looks at Dream. "To your sister Death for saving my daughter, and to you, for being here for me today. I shall never forget it."

'You will be forgotten by everyone you have ever known in an hour,' Dream does not say. Instead, he says, "You speak as if we shall never meet again."

Hob's shoulders lift at that, and his eyes widen a little. "My lord?"

Dream eyes soften at the naked vulnerability in Hob's eyes. How lonely immortality would be for him, unable to interact with anyone in a meaningful way, and doomed to be unremembered, whatever he chooses to do. "I heard there's a new play a fortnight hence," he says, gesturing to the table Marlowe and Shaxberd had occupied. They are gone now, having already left for their homes. In fact, other than the barkeep and a single serving woman, it's only the two of them left in the room. "Shall we watch it together?"

Ask about my WIPs

#ask and you shall receive #dreamling #the sandman #my writing #alphabet soup in a pot that's some work in progress

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5by5brittana · 7 months ago

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Frozen in Solitude, Loneliness Chills to the Bone

✨ CHAPTER 15 ✨

The Schneeblings help Winter plan a date with Robyn 🥹

https://archiveofourown.org/works/40531113/chapters/144630277

#Schneewood Forest #Winter Schnee #Robyn Hill #Weiss Schnee #Whitley Schnee #RWBY #my fics #*

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goldyluna · 2 months ago

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Ask time ✨

Can you assign your favourite song(s) to your favourite character(s)? And, if you want, say why do you think that song is them? (vibe and style can be enough, you don't have to worry about the lyrics :3 So if there's a song that reminds you of a certain character, but the lyrics don't suit them, then don't worry about it :3 I know that sometimes the melody suits someone but the lyrics not always, so please feel free to go with your feelings <3)

Ohhh shit, a killer of a question. A challenge I shall try my best to do

I will go with my current Top 6 (because I want to talk about a lot of my favs but I am lazy at the same time). If you don't want any spoilers, don't read my reasons why I picked the songs!

Shin Tsukimi from Your Time To Die – I would pick Not My Turn To Die by Micki Robyns-P. But is it cheating if I choose a fansong made about the character? Well, I think about this song when I think about him. But another song that I would give him is King of a Tragedy by Isak Danielson. The vibes and lyrics are pretty what I would is him. Shin Tsukimi, a King of a Tragedy. Doesn't is sound right? If we analize it more, lyrics tell about destructive relationships but you want to still be with that person and you hate yourself because of that. Shin's relation with Midori wasn't great but it was his only friendship then. This relationship influenced Shin even later in life, when Midori dissapeared on him. It affected his reactions and behavior during the death game.

Jinx from Arcane – Gasoline by Halsey is one of the one I can think of. (The other one is Get Jinxed made just for her of course, but I'm gonna pick some not related songs). I think she would cry and scream to this song. The lyrics hit hard and can be connected to her. I can imagine her tearing her throat raw with her singing, feeling it. Pouring this motherfucking champagne down the drain. That she feels like a hurricane destroying everything, jinxing exerything. The melody could be more agressive and chaotic, but it is nothing that Jinx wouldn't fix with her tinkering lol

Sans from Undertale – Kagerou Days by Jin. This song alawys reminds me about Undertale. I love it so much with the time loops and I know other people think this song fits Sans too. On youtube can be found a "cover" or more like reinterpretation of the song with Sans and Papyrus as the main characters. The desperation to save but not being able, even if the days are reapeting. I know Sans doesn't remember exactly the new resets and only has a feeling and is aware of it. But still living in a deja vu is horrible. He knows monsters are dying. And I also am a fan of the theory that Papyrus is aware too so the song is perfect for this.

Miles Morales form Spiderverse – Mother by Ina Wroldsen. This song makes me cry. And connecting it with Miles? Heart destroyed, emotions in shambles. He is so far, so away from his home, his world. The danger is so near and everyone tells him he should let it happen. It is hard to be a Spider-man, especially if you want to do things your way. If you want to save everyone you love and you try so hard, but things aren't always going the right way. I just know that he would love to see and talk to his mother. To tell her everything. So she could console him and make him feel better. So she could hug him and say him he is home.

Tenma Tsukasa from Project Sekai – Beat Me by Davina Michelle. Maybe it is my angsty side talking (I mean, every song I gave is kinda angsty), but I really think this song suit him! Tenma always will stand up and do better! Because he will be a Star! He will show everyone his worth with how bright he shines✨

Fluttershy from My Little Pony – Are You Happy In Paris? by SOLARIA and CharM-P. Another song really hitting close to home so maybe why I want to give it to Fluttershy. The vibe is so right. The melody words so well with her in my opinion. Lyrics kinda too. It is what I imagine would go throug her head after she fell from the clouds, thinking about Rainbow Dash as she was her only friend. But Rainbow Dash had dreams that were so different than Fluttershy's. This song also is perfect for my little AU I have only in my head <33

youtube

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squidinu · 6 months ago

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out walkin’ the Gus

#scribble #cryptid crush #august #and robyn ✨#werewolf

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angel-with-paper-wings · 8 months ago

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Seeing POTO Live: Part 2 (Show Review)

This is my personal review of my first time seeing a live production of The Phantom of the Opera, on the West End on May 20th 2024 (see Part 1 of this post for that crazy story). The main trio cast was: Lily Kerhoas as Christine, Jon Robyns as The Phantom, and Joe Griffiths-Brown (I will list the rest of the cast as I mention their characters).

Act 1:

Auction/Overture:

JAMES GANT HIMSELF WAS THE AUCTIONEER 🤩🤩 TWO PHANTOMS IN ONE NIGHT, I CANT BELIEVE MY LUCK

He was totally channeling the Phantom when it got to the “Lot 666…” part, I got chills

I was watching Raoul (Joe Griffiths-Brown) like a hawk during the auction scene because I wanted to study his acting, and he did not disappoint. When the music box came out, he leaned forward and touched it longingly with his fingertips 🥺 And he spoke in this hushed, gravelly old man voice that was so accurate. No notes.

THE OVERTURE

SCREAMING CRYING THROWING UP

ITS JUST AS MAGICAL AS I ALWAYS DREAMED 😍😍😍

I totally got flashbanged by the chandelier 😂😂 (the sparks and pyro effects in this musical are BRIGHT)

Hannibal/Think of Me:

Both Carlotta (Lily de-la-Haye) and Piangi (David Kristopher-Brown) SLAYED, not only with their singing but their comedy bits were perfectly timed

Guys these costumes are SPARKLY 😍😍✨✨ like I didn’t realize until seeing it live but almost EVERY costume has sparkles and it makes everything look gorgeous under the stage lights

This Andre (Adam Linstead) and Firmin (Matt Harrop) were SO FUNNY OMG

Andre was such a little fanboy over Carlotta, and Firmin was like a grumpy old man

Lily’s “Think of Me” was DELIGHTFUL, her voice is so smooth and sweet! When she started her “audition” her voice was VERY quiet (barely audible), but once she got going she had such a beautiful crystal-clear tone.

Again, I was watching Joe Griffiths-Brown a lot during “Think of Me” because I wanted to watch his reactions. For a while, Raoul didn’t really look at the stage to see Christine playing Elissa, he was too busy looking at his programme and greeting the managers when they joined his box. But eventually he saw her, and then he looked back down at his programme to search for her name and check if it was really her! I loved it and thought it was such a neat acting detail!!!

Angel of Music/Little Lotte:

While Madame Giry is scolding the ballerinas for being “a disgrace”, Christine was talking with… some dude?? I couldn’t really tell who it was, but I’m almost certain it wasn’t Raoul or either of the managers. It looked like a stagehand. Does anyone know who this is and why she was talking to him? I’ve never noticed this detail before in other productions.

OMG BRUNETTE MEG NATION RISE UP

Meg (Maiya Hikasa) has a few extra lines during the show that I haven’t heard before, and the one I remember best was a little frustrated remark after Madame Giry told her to go off and practice: it was something like “There’s always more practice.” I thought it was cool that they gave her a bit more character!

Okay idk if this was intentional, but during the beginning of “Angel of Music”, Christine’s dressing room set was covered by a curtain but illuminated from the inside by a lamp, and the wardrobe mistress was in there arranging her dressing gown. But since Christine was singing about her father at the time, I thought that part of the stage was like a “flashback” scene to show us what Christine was remembering in her mind. Idk if that makes sense, but that was what crossed my mind.

Idk if this was intentional either (or maybe it was just the angle from where I was sitting) but you could see the actual conductor of the show reflected in the mirror from the orchestra pit, which I thought was cool and tied things together thematically

Lily’s Christine was quite hesitant and timid when Raoul came to see her in her dressing room. I liked this choice because to me, it showed that even though she is happy to see him, Christine is aware that the Phantom is listening and she is afraid for Raoul’s safety.

And Joe was just so sweet and charming the whole time!! He didn’t seem too demanding when he said they’ll go to supper, which is a plus for me.

HEEHEE JON ROBYNS HAS A PERFECT PHANTOM VOICE AND NO ONE CAN TELL ME OTHERWISE

He has a very mixed range which I like in a Phantom, going from a higher goblin-y voice to a really low seductive growl on “I am your Angel of Music…”

Title Song:

God I just love the scenery changes that happen during this song, they are nothing short of STUNNING

Lily’s and Jon’s voices sound SO GREAT together

When the candles started raising out of the stage, Christine leaned forward in the boat and looked so enraptured (same), and I don’t think the Phantom took his eyes off of her once during the whole song (again, same)

Unfortunately, there was no cape swirl because poor Jon dropped the cape 😭😭 I felt so bad for him but he recovered very well (let’s just say he was so awed by Christine’s singing that his hands stopped working)

Lily’s high notes at the very end had almost no vibrato and were very choral-sounding, if that makes sense. They kinda reminded me of Emmy Rossum’s high notes in the 2004 movie. Overall very nice.

Music of the Night:

Jon Robyns made this song look EASY. His vocals and acting choices were top notch, it was a treat to watch.

In the pause after “abandon their defenses…” when Christine looks away from the Phantom and towards the audience, he gasped and touched his mask as if ensuring it was still there. SUCH a great detail 🥺

He WHIMPERED when Christine touched him during the portcullis sprawl (after that, I wasn’t sure I would survive PONR, the horniness was too strong)

Lily’s Christine seemed quite unsure about the Phantom’s sensual touches at first, especially when he went in for the iconic pose, but then she relaxed and just fell against his arm

His “touch me” was the lowest sensual whisper I— 😩🥵

Christine touched his mask for a good couple of seconds during “savor each sensation”, but then it looked like her thumb went underneath the edge and was about to take it off, and that was when the Phantom pulled her hand away. Great stuff 👍

I know why they don’t do it anymore, but I miss the catch 😭 Christine fell to the floor and Jon’s Phantom reached out for her, before grabbing the cloak and covering her up. Then he knelt down next to her with his hands on his knees (like a lil kid) to say “you alone can make…” it was adorable and so sad 🥹

Stranger Than You Dreamt It:

When Christine first lays eyes on Erik’s deformity, she doesn’t flinch until he lunges at her. But then later, after she returned his mask, she flinched right away as if expecting him to lunge at her again 🥺

She even pushed herself as far away from him as she could when he began STYDI

He dragged—and I mean DRAGGED— himself across the door on his belly

Also he gave this like angry grunt before “repulsive carcass”

Jon’s voice sounded so scary, but his “dreams of beauty” and “oh, Christine” were WHIMPERS 😭😭😭

PATHETIC LITTLE MEOW MEOW ENERGY

After “oh, Christine”, he covered his face with both hands and sat on his knees with his back to the audience. When Christine handed him the mask, he ripped it out of her hand and put it back on.

Notes I/Prima Donna:

Excellent chemistry between Adam Linstead and Matt Harrop as the managers, I couldn’t get enough of their antics

This scene was where Joe Griffiths-Brown began to show his colors as a more aggressive Raoul, akin to Hadley Fraser in the 25th anniversary. Whether you prefer this portrayal of Raoul or not, I think it worked well here.

While the managers are busy singing “Prima Donna” with Carlotta and Piangi, Raoul was seen chatting with Madame Giry (Francesca Ellis). There were a couple more moments in the show where they are seen talking together or sharing a knowing look, which I’ve never really noticed before when watching recordings/bootlegs. It makes their little one-on-one discussion after “Masquerade” seem less random because we know they are already familiar with each other.

Also, Joe Griffiths-Brown’s voice is STRONG, like it cut through all the rest of the voices and could be clearly heard at the end of “Prima Donna”

Il Muto:

Lily de-la-Haye’s croaks were kind of strange… like I know it’s a strange part of the musical, but they sounded less like croaks and more like big yells. Idk

Guys. Jon’s Phantom laugh. 😳😩 Deeper than the Mariana Trench. Sent chills up my spine.

After hearing the Phantom’s voice, Raoul starts searching for him around Box Five

Guys, Adam Linstead is HILARIOUS as Andre. He was shaking like a leaf when he had to go out and announce the change in plan, flipping through his programme nervously. And his antics with the ballet dancers seemed so naturally clumsy!

“the ~BALLET~” 😂😂😂

When the scary silhouettes of the Phantom were showing up during the ballet, they were spotted by the shepherd dancer (Jacob Hughes), and he looked SO SCARED. He had on this huge nervous smile, you could tell he was thinking “oh shit god please no”, it was just a good piece of acting

All I Ask of You:

Lily’s Christine was very up-front about what she wants from Raoul in this song. During “say you love me every waking moment…”, she had her hand out to him as if saying “these are the terms, you can either agree to them or be done.” This, along with some other moments later in the show, made Lily’s interpretation refreshingly strong and assertive.

Joe Griffiths-Brown was BORN to sing Raoul. His voice suits AIAOY so well

He did a lil twirl with his arms out during AIAOY as he said “then say you’ll share with me…” and it was the sweetest thing ever 🥹

THE KISS!!! 😍😍 Raoul kissed Christine first (it was a little earlier than I was expecting), but after he pulled away Christine leaned in and gave him a bigger kiss back!

AIAOY Reprise:

Behind me, a girl went *gasp* “SHIT” when the Pegasus turned and revealed the Phantom, and that alone was worth the price of admission. (Btw, that moment of shock is exactly why you wait to reveal that the Phantom is eavesdropping until AFTER Christine and Raoul leave the rooftop… unlike SOME versions *glares at 2004 movie 😒)

Jon made me cry with his “I gave you my music…”

HIS WHIMPERS WHEN HE HEARS RAOUL AND CHRISTINE SINGING, Y’ALL I AM UNWELL

The horse statue is center-stage during this part, and the Phantom is perched right on top (VERY high up, holy shit). As he sang “you will curseâ€¦” he looked down at the audience and istg STRAIGHT AT ME 😳 (I was sitting dead center). Even though he definitely wasn’t staring at me in particular, I felt like we had a moment.

Act 2:

Masquerade/Why So Silent:

THE COSTUMES

SO SPARKLY ✨✨✨✨✨

AND SO DETAILED

AAAAAAAAAA MY EYES CANNOT HANDLE SUCH MAJESTY

If you’re like me and have only ever seen photos/video of the Masquerade scene, let me tell you that it does NOT do them justice

Speaking of which… I would like to formally apologize for hating on Christine’s “Star Princess” dress. It is a LOT prettier in person. I understand the hype now.

There was another moment where Raoul was seen chatting with Madame Giry about something. Again, this makes their convo at the end of this song make more sense since they already know each other.

Omg the Phantom’s entrance was STUNNING

Y’all how does he balance his big ol’ hat??? It’s just a big red puffball on top of his head lmao

Some people in the audience laughed in shock when the skull mask’s jaw started moving

Got flashbanged so I didn’t see the Phantom go down the trap door (which I guess is the whole point of the flashbang lol)

The convo between Raoul and Madame Giry was kinda rushed. Madame Giry reveals some important information about the Phantom’s backstory here, but Raoul was talking over her at some points and it was hard to hear.

Notes II:

I kinda wanted more acting-wise from Lily (Christine) during this sceneâ€¦ I was hoping she would get more angry at Carlotta and the managers, but she seemed oddly quiet. I think she was trying to convey how Christine is tired of all the bullshit happening around her during this scene. She was just done with everything.

Her “I cannot sing it, duty or not” and “I can’t. I won’t do it.” were certain and final.

Again, Joe’s Raoul was rather aggressive during this scene when he was coming up with the plan to trap the Phantom. Of course he was still gentle with her physically, but he was not hearing any arguments against the plan.

Having both a stubborn Christine and a stubborn Raoul seems like a difficult thing to make work, but I think it did in this show! Their clash during this scene makes Christine’s storming out more realistic—she has lost all her patience and just needs to be alone.

Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again:

Lily really shone here. This was her moment, and she did not disappoint.

“Little Lotte thought of everything and nothing…” sounded so defeated and sad 😔

Her voice is just very nice to listen to. It’s not as classically operatic as some other Christines, it has more of a modern musical theater flair, but it suits the role very well imo.

When it got to “too many years…”, she let out all of her repressed anger and frustration in a powerful final chorus. It was very satisfying.

Wandering Child:

��Far-reaching gaze”

Damn these three sound SO GOOD together!!! Their vocals blend perfectly with each other

The sparks from the staff were cool! I’m always worried that they will look cheesy (and yeah, they kinda do), but Jon Robyns was selling it

GOD that fire effect at the end is HOTTT 🔥🔥🔥

Point of No Return:

Oh boy, this one was fun

His “preeeeeeey” was so long and creepy 😳

Maybe I’m just a simp, but I kinda wanted their acting to be a bit more sexy… like I don’t think Lily’s Christine was into it as much as I’ve seen some other Christines get into it, but it was spicy enough

You could tell the moment Christine realized it was the Phantom under the cloak, a look of understanding passed over her face. In the pause before she starts singing her verse, she was thinking for a bit… and then her “decided…” was so long and sultry.

Based on how she acted during this song from that point on, my theory is that she put together her own plan to trap the Phantom by using his lust for her against him. She went along with the seductive choreo in order to expose him to the audience… her hand touched his mask, and it looked like she was going to pull of the hood then and there before he flinched away.

Once they were singing the final chorus, they were straight up arguing with each other. Christine was already letting out her spite and frustration ahead of the Final Lair, and sje was letting the Phantom have it.

After the hood is off, it is Christine who calls off the guards by holding out her hands. This didn't seem like a protective move to me, it seemed like she was just saying “not yet, it’s not the right time”.

When he said “Say you want me”, he patted his chest (like calling a cat lol)

OMG Raoul’s jump into the lake is HIGH like how is that even safe??? Massive props to all the Raouls, that looks scary as shit

Final Lair:

Holy. Shit.

No notes whatsoever.

It was perfection.

CHRISTINE LET ERIK HAVE IT

SHE WAS DONE PLAYING GAMES, SHE WAS SCOLDING HIM WITH ALL OF HER ANGER

And Erik was done too. He had so much disdain in his voice when he talked about his backstory, his bitterness felt so real and justified

When Raoul came in, Erik’s mood switched COMPLETELY to being a cocky lil shit 😂 He was having way too much fun teasing Raoul and mock-bowing to him and being a lil goblin

He also said a line I haven’t heard before! Instead of “I had rather hoped that you would come”, he said “I did not think we would be so blessed” or something like that. Idk if that’s a recent change or what, but it was hilarious because he said it dripping with sarcasm

After “tears of hate” when Christine ran back over to Raoul, she held both her hands out, one to protect Raoul and one to hold back Erik

Lily’s “You deceived me, I gave my mind blindly” was so angry and accusatory (as it should be, because it’s true)

“Make. Your. Choice.” Chills 😳🥶

THE KISS 😱😱😱💀💀💀 (I’m dead)

The first kiss surprised Erikâ€¦he held his arms out to the side, unsure what to do with them. Then during the hug he wrapped them around Christine’s waist (with his hands still splayed out). Then the second kiss he kept his arms where they were and ACTUALLY KISSED HER BACK, HE LEANED IN AND EVERYTHING

GOD I AM DECEASED 😭😭😭😭

He pulled away first, looking SO SHOCKED. He stumbled over to the other side of the stage, touching his lips with his fingers 🥺🥺

After he let Raoul go, he had to chase them out of the lair. His “go now and leave me” was the DEFINITION of heartbreaking 😭😭😭 I still haven’t recovered.

When he saw Christine had come back he looked SO HAPPY, but then he looked down and saw the ring, and you could see him just deflate 🥺🥺 she handed him the ring, and he just held her hand for a minute.

His “Christine, I love you” was LONGGG and it just ripped my heart apart further

Lily did NOT want to leave him. She lingered there for several seconds, before turning and running away, leaving Erik’s arm still outstretched 😭

GOD the little sobs he let out as he watched Raoul and Christine leave on the boat 😫 and he covered his ears again like in AIAOY reprise

Overall reflection:

It was SO GOOD. Like I cannot describe how perfect it was in so many different ways. The cast and crew were nothing short of PHENOMENAL and I already cannot wait for a chance to see it again, however long that takes!!

I am an unapologetic RAH 25th anniversary stan, and the Ramin/Sierra/Hadley trio will always hold a special place in my heart (it’s more like a chokehold but I digress). I bring this up because I was SHOOK with how similar the current West End cast sounded to the 25th anniversary cast. Some of the acting choices were also quite similar, especially Joe’s Raoul and Jon’s Phantom. Overall, the three complimented each other very well vocally and the directions in which they took their characters worked together very nicely to tell a cohesive story.

I didn’t really know what to make of Lily Kerhoas’s Christine at first. I kinda felt like I wanted a bit more from her acting-wise, but as the show went on and the more I thought about it, I started to understand the journey she was taking with her Christine throughout the show. She starts out very shy during the Hannibal audition scene and “Little Lotte”, and only during MOTN do we start to see her come out of her shell a bit. Over the course of the show, she learns to become more confident and to stand up for herself and her needs against Joe’s very assertive Raoul and Jon’s very needy Phantom. I really liked this, because too often Christine is written off as another sweet innocent ingenue who is seduced by the Phantom, but Lily’s Christine was nothing like that. She had her own goals in mind and held onto them stubbornly, which led to her having the upper hand in a lot of scenes. Perhaps not my favorite portrayal of Christine, but it was a refreshing change!

Joe Griffiths-Brown plays a very serious and determined Raoul that reminded me a lot of Hadley Fraser’s “out for blood” portrayal in the 25th anniversary production. He has his moments of sweetness of course, and he is very protective of Christine during AIAOY and the Final Lair. He definitely wasn't the sweet, golden-boi Raoul from the original novel, but alongside Lily’s very courageous Christine and Jon’s emotional Phantom I thought he was a great fit. Plus, he was pretty to look at. 🤭🫠

Jon Robyns NAILED IT. He mastered the balance between a terrifying force of nature and an emotionally broken man. His emotions felt real in the way that he said/sang each line… he meant every word he was saying. I think I would have liked a bit more physical sensuality from him (his Phantom Hands™️ were not as special as others I’ve seen), but other than that I cannot fault his portrayal. He ripped my heart out of my chest and stomped on it, and I said thank you.

Bonus:

My parents were waiting to meet me outside of the theatre after the show ended. According to them, the first person to leave the theatre was a teenage girl—she exited the doors with her hands stretched to the dark London sky, tears in her eyes, and said “OH MY GOD, I FEEL LIKE MY SOUL HAS BEEN RAPTURED!!!”

Same, girl. That pretty much sums it up.

#poto #phantom of the opera #poto west end #poto london #personal #jon robyns #lily kerhoas #joe griffiths brown

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