#bandstand was robbed

[the-river-rix]

Bandstand is haunting me again I fear

[jt1674]

[the-river-rix]

THANK YOU!!!

Bandstand and Dear Evan Hansen. Two musicals revolving around mental illness, released in the 2017 season. One snubbed by the Tony's and nearly forgotten, one catapulted to stardom. These two shows do mental illness very differently, let's explore why Bandstand is more effective. (TW: suicide, depression, anxiety, PTSD, flashbacks, etc)

Bandstand never outright says "These characters have PTSD", but DEH literally opens with a scene where you're straight up told that Evan has anxiety. Once again, when Connor is introduced to the story, there isn't any way that they show us Connor has depression, they just say it. It feels lazy and inorganic. The way Bandstand does it is much more subtle: the repeating refrain of "it'll be just like it was before [the war]", even as we watch Donny struggle to adjust to civilian life, find a job, and fight through panic attacks. The dialogue hints at what's happening, mentioning soldiers that couldn't adjust and committed suicide, and Donny claiming that if he can't play "what's the point of [him] making it back at all". It's just as obvious, but more natural.

Another thing Bandstand does more effectively is choreography and staging. The characters whirl around Donny when he's experiencing a flashback, the lighting illuminates what he's seeing in his mind, and it really let's the audience in on what Donny's mindset is like. Between songs and scenes, there are short interludes where you see how each of the band is coping and struggling with PTSD and the wide variety of reactions. DEH doesn't really have any moments like this, where we get to see inside Evan's head and feel what he's experiencing. This also is a much more effective method of storytelling, because it allows us to see what happened to Michael instead of Donny blatantly telling us, where Evan has to simply speak the story of how he fell out of the tree.

Bandstand also does an incredible job of displaying how different people with the same mental illness react. Each of the members of the Donny Nova band reacts differently to the horrors of WW2. Nick is paranoid and doesn't let anyone in, Davy is a jokester who abuses alcohol, Donny refuses to talk about his feelings and focuses on his music, Wayne doesn't give himself a minute of silence for fear that he'll have to relive those moments, etc. This is the most opiniony thing in this entire opinion based post, fair warning, but Evan feels like a stereotype. He's a loner, he stutters, he can't talk to girls, he's awkward. It's damaging to portray people with anxiety as the same one stereotype.

Bandstand also does flawed characters better. All the characters have their issues, and these issues aren't justified or excused. No one tells Davy that his alcoholism is okay, no one acts like he's allowed to do whatever he wants, just because he has PTSD. Conversely, Evan lies for (one could argue) personal gain, harms and hurts the entire Murphy family and all his friends, and no one even cares. They get mad at him, he barely apologizes and does nothing to prove that he's changed, but he faces no consequences. Connor is the same, his abuse is waved off because he's depressed, and no one in the show or in the random holds him accountable for more than Zoe's verse of Requiem.

Finally, the characters in Bandstand are much more layered and three dimensional. The characters all have their own backstories, and personality traits, and families, and interests. They all feel like fully fledged humans, no one is archetypal or one dimensional. Additionally, none of the characters exist solely to be another character's something. Julia isn't only in the show to be Donny's girlfriend, she has her own opinions and objectives and stands on her own. But in DEH, all the characters have one stereotypical personality trait. Larry is the regretful angry dad, Cynthia is the weeping mom, Zoe is the angsty teen, Connor is sad angry depression boy, Evan is sad nervous boy, Heidi is single mom, Jared is haha funny joke teen boy, Alana is ivy league bound nerd, etc. They don't have any opinions or interests that are counter to Evan's, and they all only exist to be Evan's love interest, Evan's friend, etc. This is annoying and bad story telling but it's also super damaging, because it perpetuates the stereotype that people with mental illness are only their mental illness. Evan doesn't have a trait beyond his anxiety and even that arguably isn't portrayed well.

[notebookmusical]

ok wait that anon was me. why don’t you like laura osnes 😭 i just know her from bandstand (like one of my fave musicals ever) and the og bonnie in bonnie and clyde … what’s the tea what’s the beef

feel the need to preface this with saying that i used to love laura back in like 2013; was a huge r&h cinderella fan, loved bonnie & clyde, etc. but. this tweet really summarizes it in a nutshell:

can't find a screenshot of this, but during early covid she posted an instagram story about how her cameos were discounted due to a "coronavirus clearance". which like, honestly is just very tacky and tasteless, and on its own not the worst thing in the world but. then we have the whole covid anti-vaxxer thing. she's since deleted this instagram post (and you can read more in that link) but basically insinuated that vaccinations cause infertility which is incredibly false.

here are some more tweets about it:

and then she moved to tennessee with her husband and wrote an album about cancel culture; here's an article about it

here's the onstage blog writeup/review of her album.

and then we've got this tweet that rob madge posted

with this screenshot

and then there's also this:

and most recently, when carrie manolakos (former sophie sheridan in mamma mia, former elphaba standby for wicked 2nt, has since also moved to nashville i think) posted in support of rfk jr. and trump, laura's husband wrote this:

edited to add: when zachary levi was spouting his bullshit about the covid vaccine last month, laura commented and said she commended his bravery (thank you @stevenkodalys for reminding me about this)

anyways i'm sure i forgot something still but that's the gist

[darkhighness]

Good Omentober Day 11 - Aziraphale

Prompt by @disaster-dog

Aziraphale has always been driven by his love of learning. A certain demon introduces a foreign concept to the angel and he has to learn about the hardest topic of all: Love.

Learning had always been a passion of Aziraphale’s. Even before he was on earth he was constantly thirsty for knowledge and was keen when there was something new to discover. That’s partially what made him such a great fit to be Heaven’s representative on Earth in the first place. As far as Aziraphale was concerned, he was a chameleon, working hard to blend in with the humans while maintaining his undying faith in the Almighty.

As far as anyone else was concerned, Aziraphale was chronically adverse to change and would struggle to be defined as anything but odd.

The hardest thing Aziraphale had to learn, he found, was love. What is love? What does it mean to love someone? How do you love someone?

There was a certain demon that forced him to learn those lessons. He had been good friends with Crowley for thousands of years but Aziraphale knew that friendship love could hardly compare to proper love.

As he watched the demon race to save him, dancing through consecrated ground no less, he felt a light switch flick in his chest. That switch released a whole conservatory of butterflies into his chest that fluttered in some kind of twisted hurricane through a forest of trees. The angel forgot how to breathe (thankfully he didn’t need to) when the bomb went off but there Crowley stood, amongst the wreckage caused by his own foolishness and the demon didn’t even have the nerve to be mad.

When Crowley revealed that he had saved the books, all the butterflies escaped as a gasp and Aziraphale realised that what he was feeling was new. The demon shone in a different light now and Aziraphale wanted to bask in it all day if he could help it. Aziraphale was stunned, staring beyond the dark glasses Crowley was wearing to gaze into the eyes that seemed so much more golden than they had before.

The next time he felt such an eruption of emotion was during his act on West End. There was no one but Crowley he’d want to be spending this moment with and it was easy enough to chalk the rumbling feeling in his stomach to nerves but what he couldn’t explain was why the tempest in his chest eased when Crowley was around. Even as Crowley held the gun in his arms, Aziraphale felt calm. Even him mouthing ‘Trust Me’ was to comfort the demon as his own body was entirely still. The fleeting moment of apprehension he felt when Crowley pulled the trigger instantly dissolved as he realised that he could still see the demon in front of him, lowering the gun.

Aziraphale also learnt that love was painful and forced people to make hard decisions. He learnt that while sitting in the Bentley, cradling his tartan printed thermos waiting for Crowley to return. In his hands was the very thing that would take away Crowley for good. In his hands was one of the few things that would snuff out the light that Aziraphale had been following like some lost boat at sea. In his hands was the only thing that could stop Crowley from doing something foolish. What he had was either going to kill Crowley or save him and that was horrifying.

When Crowley entered the car he was surprised to see the angel. Aziraphale was surprised too. Who planned to rob a church dressed so seductively?

Aziraphale immediately pushed that thought down. It was sinful, it was dirty. Lust was a filthy crown for an angel to wear. His attempts to push away the thoughts were feeble though. A radiating warmth spread through his body and he couldn’t control it. All he knew how to do was push him away. “You go too fast for me, Crowley.” When Aziraphale met with Crowley at the bandstand he wasn’t lying when he said they weren’t friends. They’d left friendship behind decades ago and Aziraphale was still so scared. Whenever Crowley wasn’t around it felt like half of his soul was missing, drifting around the Earth without him. He wanted to say they were more than friends but he felt like he was being ripped apart by his faith with the Almighty screaming at him about how wrong this was. Their arrangement was one of sin and the bad surely outweighed the good. He could never run off with a demon. That was possibly the worst thing he could do.

That’s all Aziraphale could do. Push Crowley away when he got too close. Even when he was helping with Jim he couldn’t let him go too far. The more time they spent together, dancing around the difficult conversations in their small pocket Soho, Aziraphale felt his soul melding with Crowley on multiple levels. The angel was forgetting who he was without the yin to his yang. Everyone expected him to arrive with a dark-clothed, rock blasting demon glued to his side and he felt like he needed to apologise when he wasn’t there.

The ball was the final straw. The world was burning outside but Aziraphale wasn’t ready to listen. As their hands touched, for a moment Aziraphale felt something greater than himself. His body filled with joy and the world around him blurred, leaving only Crowley in focus. Their connected bodies became one, their heartbeats perfectly in sync and their movements flowing like a river.

But here Aziraphale stood now in a bookshop turned dark at the loss of his demon’s light. There was a lump in his throat he couldn’t breathe past and the air got trapped in his throat. He shoved his hand in his pocket, searching for some kind of comfort. His hand curled around a small golden brooch depicting a rose. Another gift from Crowley, it seemed.

Aziraphale knew that going to Heaven was the right thing to do. If he could just make it better, if he could fix things, then he could secure his future with Crowley and they could finally be together properly. Crowley just couldn’t hear the words he was saying properly. Watching the demon walk away felt like the final nail in his Heaven shaped coffin, but Aziraphale knew he had to do this.

That was one thing Aziraphale hadn’t had to chance to learn about love though. He’d fallen so hard and so fast, letting their souls fill each other's gaps and now, he had to learn how to let go.

[baura-bear]

Sooo besides Newsies ;) any favourite musicals?

Hehe yes!!

One that I always return to in the winter for some reason is Natasha Pierre and The Great Comet of 1812 it is SO GOOD! The fact that it’s a musical about a like ~70 page portion of war and peace is crazy to me but it just works. Like dust and ashes??? Hello?? Anyway yes that.

Falsettos because for some reason a special interest of mine is the AIDS epidemic and the history of gay/lesbian communities and how they’ve coexisted throughout time. and this basically hits the nail on the head with that one. It’s so good the proshot is on YouTube if you haven’t seen it go watch it.

And finally Bandstand. Corey Cott was ROBBED of a tony and this show was robbed of a proper run on broadway. I don’t think it was appreciated enough that the actors had to be able to sing dance act AND play their instruments all while having ptsd on stage every night I’m???? Proshot also free on YouTube. The exploration of post-war life and what vets were going through. And DONT get me started on the deleted scenes. We got a canonically gay sailor I’m so. ARE YOU KIDDING! HE HAD A BOYFRIEND!!! HIS SHIP WENT DOWN. AND HE WAS IN THE WATER WITH HIS DEAD “FRIENDS”. I could write a fucking dissertation on this show oh god.

Thank you for the ask I am. Having autism about bandstand now

[btpbyalison]

Brandon+Alex

There aren’t enough words to fully explain how much I love shooting weddings.

I am incredibly selective about which ones I shoot. And I’m thorough in the planning process. This includes a dinner a week or so before the big day to go over everything. Alex & I took care of that the Monday before the big day.

Jason Squared and I arrived in Hannibal on Thursday night so I could get settled in. My myriad of battery chargers were set up, and I cleaned my gear. I learned quickly I would find Mark Twain…aka Samuel Clemens EVERYWHERE.

Friday morning we headed to the Rialto to check out the space. I knew I wouldn’t get to see it before the ceremony, so this was necessary. A girl’s got to have a plan. Again. I'm thorough.

The space was being decorated for another event, but I got what I needed. All my favorite things would be doable. 

After I went mural chasing, we drove to Brandon’s chosen park, I made a plan for the big day and a timeline. I knew if we were to get sunset shots, I would have to stick to the plan. I needed the wedding party to be on board.

Then came the rehearsal at Central Park. The fall leaves were gorgeous, and the bandstand created the perfect backdrop. 

The wedding party learned I didn’t play, and realized why I was brought in from Saint Louis. 

Then it was time for dinner. We ate. We drank. The Mother of the Bride gave the best speech describing Alex and Brandon’s love. 

Their love is a sweet one that started during the Pandemic. Alex thought she’d give Facebook Dating a try, and only messaged Brandon. Brandon told her, at that moment, he was listening to what would be their recessional song "Renegade" by Styxx....which she had referenced in her profile. Listening to this story on the wedding day, I knew it was just magical enough to be true. Brandon couldn’t make that up. And he sure wouldn’t lie about it.

He proposed on a Bingham family trip to Ireland. The wedding reflected that trip: a ring-warming ceremony. A guardian of those rings, complete with a Celtic sword and dagger. The wedding was so "them."

To add another touch of them, there was a ring bear. Roar.

I sure fell in love with the bridesmaids.  They understood their role.

To be frank, at times, the groomsmen drove me nuts. But they wormed warmed their way into my heart by the end.  

Alex has two sets of parents, and both of those guys at the first look. Then the moms. Y’all.  C'mon!

Watching Rob, Alex’s Dad, officiate the ceremony, warmed my heart to no end. He loves that girl.

And Brandon sure does, too. This is the moment I lost it.

After the “I do’s” we made our way to Riverview Park. A spot special to Brandon, and it provided an absolutely BEAUTIFUL view of the river.

The wedding party played along nicely as I did my thing making sure to capture the magic that was the day.

Then we partied. Boy, did we party. Brandon & Alex hadn’t practiced the first dance at all which would be to “Satellite” by Guster.

Rob & Alex boogied to “Sweet Child of Mine.”

Brandon & his gorgeous Mama Veronica swayed to “Mama Said.” 

The cousins opened the dance floor with the Cupid Shuffle.

And the dance floor was hot for the rest of the night.

Alex’s Mama is one of my dear, dear friends. One of my besties. So, I have had a front seat to this love story from the beginning.

I remember when they found each other. Everyone knew Brandon was it. I would hear stories and say, “That’s not boyfriend stuff, that’s a future husband move.” I feel like we have talked about this wedding forever.

And here we are. They are married. The day was absolutely spectacular.

So many sweet memories. Then some memories that will make for great stories. Who knew it would take my going to a Hannibal wedding to witness a homeless man crashing a reception? And, to top it off, the Best Man dropped his pants and got down next to him.

Just another Saturday in the life of a wedding photographer.

Congratulations to one of my favorite couples.

Getting to capture this day was an honor. I laughed. I cried. I danced. I drank far more tequila than I’m used to these days. And I ended the night forever grateful for Aunt Charlene.

I’m incredibly thrilled for you two. Remember a good debate makes things fun. But, sometimes you do have to just go to bed after an argument. You can be right or you can be happy. Keep things sweet and respectful, as you already do.

Love you both. Big. 

[arielavader]

good omens 2 spoilers

rewatching season 1 and the Cold Open is so much more interesting now....

Aziraphale tempting Crowley to oysters is so much more meaningful after the ox ribs.

Wessex is unintentionally funnier. "that would be lying!" - Really Aziraphale? Still on about that?

"looks like you're going to Scotland" - hehehe.

Hell would destroy you! - oh, angel. it's heaven you need to worry about

"I'm not bringing you a suicide pill, Crowley!" Really Aziraphale? after that bit of grave robbing you think that's what he wants it for?

and other things:

"most holy Archangel Gabriel. no, too formal." 🙄

oh fuck, the bandstand hurts more now, Crowley's walking away and all I can hear is "you idiot we could have been us." 😭😭😭😭😭

[shishkabobninja]

Okay I commented a few songs I like and one of them was Mockingbird by Rob Thomas, but I want to break down my interpretation of some of the lyrics through an aziracrow lense cause it's fun and it makes me happy so here we go:

So I picture the song overall as examining the mindsets of both Aziraphale and Crowley during the Final Fifteen. I'll start with parts in main chorus:

"Maybe you and me got lost somewhere

We can't move or we can't stay here"

'Got lost somewhere' referring to their miscommunication/overall dilemma, that they got so far off course that no matter the outcome they are going to hurt each other (hence "can't move" or "can't stay here"). But I also like to think of that as a double meaning, where Crowley "can't move" (go back to heaven as an angel) and Aziraphale "can't stay here" (turn down the chance to attempt to make a difference as Supreme archangel).

"You and me tried everything

But still that mockingbird won't sing"

Both Aziraphale and Crowley are trying their hardest to be together forever safely without the threat of heaven and hell looming over them. But they go about it in such different ways that it is perceived by the other as a rejection. The 'mockingbird' is the nightingale, mocking them by staying silent.

Now onto individual lyrics:

"Everybody else is smiling

And their smiles don't fade

And you don't even wonder

Why you just don't think that way"

This is Crowley talking to Aziraphale about heaven. 'Everybody' here is all the other angels, whose smiles don't fade because they are were never real to begin with, or because they agree with everything that heaven has done over the past 6000 years. This line is Crowley pointing out to Aziraphale the exact thing we saw him learn throughout the flashbacks in S2: that Aziraphale's values and love of the earth/humanity don't exactly align with heaven's.

"Take my hand

And I will lead you through the broken promise land

Yes I can, oh yes I can

I can be there when you need it

I'll give it all 'til you can't feel it anymore"

Aziraphale talking to Crowley this time, asking him to come with him to heaven (aka the "broken promise land"). Aziraphale knows its broken, but he wants/needs Crowley by his side because he loves him. He would do anything ('I'll give it all') to be there with him. As Aziraphale said "I need you!" He's begging.

"I don't wanna love you now

If you'll just leave someday

I don't wanna turn around

If you'll just walk away"

And in my opinion the most heartbreaking of them all, these lines. The first two are Crowley talking to Aziraphale, with 'leave someday' quite literally meaning Aziraphale leaving Crowley, of Aziraphale choosing heaven over him. In their first fight in the beginning of S2, when Aziraphale insisted on helping Gabriel instead of getting him far away from them (in Crowley's eyes, sort of like choosing heaven over them), Crowley immediately started referring to his "peaceful, fragile existence" that he "carved out for myself." And when Aziraphale called him out "I thought we carved it out for ourselves!" Crowley immediately responded with "so did I!" He shrinks back when he feels Aziraphale might not choose him over heaven.

And then there's the next two, which is Aziraphale talking to Crowley. Crowley is always the one who leaves after they fight, the bandstand, beginning of S2, even turns to leave during the final 15 before Aziraphale stops him. He always comes back, yes, but it hurts Aziraphale every time Crowley leaves. At the very very end, we see Aziraphale so hesitant to look back at Crowley as he's heading towards the elevator to heaven, and while I think part of that is guilt I also think part of it is because it would break his heart to watch Crowley leave. So he doesn't look back until the news about the Second Coming makes him feel he needs to. And I think the fact that Crowley was standing there, refusing to leave until Aziraphale did means a lot (for a variety of reasons I won't get into now cause this point is already long enough as it is).

It's just a kinda sad song about two people trying so hard and yet failing to be together despite loving each other so much, and I can't wait for them to finally figure out how to love each other together in S3 ❤️

Is anyone interested in sharing some of your playlists and songs that remind you of Crowley and/or Aziraphale and their relationship?

Anyway, here is mine

[september1st1899]

How in the world did Bandstand not win best lighting design tho

[write-mywayout]

rewatching bandstand for my thesis research...

and yall ever notice how when all the band members walk on stage carrying soldiers with them in the first act (around 36:50), Jimmy’s soldier is wrapped around his waist instead of hanging on to his shoulders like the others’ ghosts are? 

anyway thank you to whoever wrote that stage direction because it’s going right into supporting my “jimmy is gay” argument 

[sonseulsoleil]

someone explain to me how corey cott wasn’t nominated for a single goddamn award for his performance in Bandstand 

fucking explain it to me, because I can not comprehend it 

[crazymecjc]

friendly reminder that bandstand should have won the tonys

that’s it, that’s the post

[dxntloseurhead]

rob clove via instagram stories on december 10, 2020

[lostinsprace]

✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨

[onion-abandoned]

hi um i love jimmy campbell