#but I’m just so glad it has a Proshot and more people can see this amazing show

[plant-lesbian569]

Happy Little Big Things Proshot release date to those who celebrate

[kateeorg]

Favorite Tony Awards Moments 2020 Pt 3. - Performances

This is a tricky list to make. There are a lot of great shows that aren’t well-represented at the Tonys, and some performances that stand out from shows that aren’t my favorites. For a lot of people, this is the only footage of a show they may have seen. But here are some great performances that come to my mind from over the years, for one reason or another:

Pt 1 - Opening Numbers

Pt 2 - Misc Moments Great Shows with Great Performances

Hamilton - “Yorktown (The World Turned Upside-Down)” (2016)

Hadestown - “Wait for Me” (2019)

Waitress - “She Used to Be Mine” (2016)

Wicked - “Defying Gravity” (2004) 

Hairspray - “You Can’t Stop the Beat” (2003)

In the Heights - “In the Heights/96,000″ (2009)

42nd Street - “Lullaby of Broadway” (1981)

Les Miserables - “At the End of the Day / One Day More” (1987)

Phantom of the Opera - “Phantom of the Opera” (1988)

Annie - “Tomorrow”/“You're Never Full Dressed Without a Smile”/“Easy Street” (1974)

Sunday in the Park with George (revival) - “Move On” (2008)

Pippin - “Magic to Do” (1973) & “Corner of the Sky/Magic to Do” (2013)

Rent - “La Vie Boheme” (1996)

The Lion King - “Circle of Life” (1998)

Ragtime - “Prologue” (1998)

Matilda - Medley (2013)

Curtains - “Show People” (2007)

Beauty and the Beast - Medley (1994)

Spamalot - “Find Your Grail” (2005)

Thoroughly Modern Mille - “Forget About the Boy” (2002)

Urinetown - “Run Freedom Run” (2002)

She Loves Me - “Ilona/She Loves Me/ Vanilla Ice Cream” (2016)

Guys & Dolls - “Sit Down You’re Rocking The Boat” (1992)

Shows I Have No Feeling About with Memorable Performances 

The Scottsboro Boys - “Commencing in Chattanooga” (2011)

Oklahoma! - “Cain’t Say No” (2019)

Dear Evan Hansen - “Waving through a Window” (2017)

The Prom - “It’s Time to Dance” (2019)

Spring Awakening - Medley (2007) & "Mama Who Bore Me/ B*ch of Living” (2016)

Gentlemen’s Guide to Love and Murder - “I’ve Decided to Marry You” (2014)

A Christmas Story - “Red Ryder Carbine Action BB Gun/ Ralphie to the Rescue” (2013)

Fun Home - “Ring of Keys” (2015)

Once on this Island - “Mama Will Provide” (2018)

Performances I Want to Highlight for Personal Reasons

Peter and the Starcatcher (2012) - This is such a strange one, because it’s not a musical, but it has music numbers and features a number of actors known for their musical theater work. It’s completely silly but captures the show so well, and you can see how Christian Borle won his first Tony from this.

Cinderella - Medley (2013) - You know when I saw this in theaters, I had mixed feelings. But this performance is beautiful. But mostly I just really love the costume changes <3

Evita - “A New Argentina” (1980) - I based so much of my own  performance of Evita on this performance, it’s so cool. Gotta love Patti and Mandy.

Xanadu - Medley (2008) - I was just happy this show got some recognition, but it’s really not the best performance? Eh.

Legally Blonde - “So Much Better” - Another one that I’m glad got it’s Tonys moment, despite no awards. (Though it did have the MTV proshot, more than so many could say.)

Falsettos - “A Day in Falsettoland” (2017) - It boggles my mind that this performance gets obsessed over on Tumblr for... very strange reasons, but it is a good performance and very catchy.

You’re A Good Man Charlie Brown - “My New Philosophy/Happiness” (1999) - Kristin Chenoweth’s debut at the Tonys, ladies and gentlemen. That is all.

[eldritchsurveys]

865.

Are you still in quarantine/under stay at home order? (if you're taking this during Covid-19, that is) >> No, the governor’s executive stay-at-home order ended in June. Personally, I still stay at home except for weekly grocery trips and trips to the Wayland house because... well, where else am I going to go? Aside from take walks.

Has stuff been opening back up where you are? >> Eh. It’s been kind of confusing. Many restaurants are still closed / doing takeout, but I’ve heard that they’ve tried opening bars back up, which sounded completely dumb to me, like... of all places? but whatever. Most stores are open, I believe, with mask-wearing encouraged (I say it like that because it really is just a suggestion. There are no actual consequences for walking into a store without a mask, unfortunately, so some people still do it).

What have you missed most that you haven't been able to do due to Covid-19? >> I’ve mostly missed J. Gardella’s Tavern, which was on its way to being shut down anyway because they’d been bought out by some gastropub fuckers. But because of the executive order, I never got to go there for a last round. :( Also, I miss just being able to go downtown etc and walk around and do stuff. In general.

What state do you live in? >> Michigan.

Do you personally know anyone who has had Covid-19? >> No.

Have you had it? (or think you might have?) >> I have not had it, nor do I think I have it. Sometimes I get paranoid because there’s apparently quite a few “non-obvious” type symptoms that have gotten connected to COVID infection (like digestive issues), but, whatever.

Do you know anyone who is a healthcare worker? >> No. Sparrow works in a podiatrist’s office, but that’s not really the kind of healthcare worker I think this question means.

Have you still been working these past few months or not? >> I don’t work, period.

If you weren't working, are you still in school? >> No.

What is/was your major in college? >> ---

Or if you're not in college yet, what do you want to study? >> ---

If your school closed due to Covid-19, do you miss it? >> ---

What are you most excited about when life goes (somewhat) back to normal? >> I will be glad when we can stop wearing masks. You know, in like late 2021 or whenever. Because it sure won’t be any time soon, I can tell that much.

Did Covid-19 impact any major plans you had for this spring/summer? >> I didn’t have any major plans. All my ideas for the summer were pretty minor.

Do you collect anything? >> No.

What's the name of your favorite restaurant? (chain or local) >> Long Road Distillery.

What is your favorite thing to order when you eat there? >> I don’t remember, we were only there for dinner once but I immediately fell in love with the menu (and the drinks, by god).

Have you still been able to get food from there during Covid-19? >> Yeah, they have online ordering and curbside pickup. They make cocktail kits, too, which is cool.

Are you planning on eating there anytime soon when they reopen? >> Oh god, yeah. Definitely not any time soon even if they do reopen sooner than I think is safe, but... yeah.

Have you discovered any good new music during quarantine? >> I discover new music all the time.

What's a new song you've been loving lately? (not necessarily newly released, just something you've recently discovered) >> Heard a cover of Huey Lewis and the News’ Stuck With You by Twelve Foot Ninja recently that I thought was fun. Honestly, that song is just fun no matter what, though.

Have you been able to keep in touch with friends during this time? >> The majority of my social interaction was online anyway, so.

What is your favorite Starbucks drink? >> ---

Do you prefer Starbucks or a local coffee shop? >> I prefer local everything.

What was your favorite TV show when you were a kid? do you still ever watch it? >> ---

Have you been watching a lot of movies during quarantine? >> No more than I would be usually, since my daily life didn’t change as dramatically as most people’s did. But yeah.

What is your favorite Disney movie? >> Lilo & Stitch.

Do you have Disney plus? >> Nope.

Are you a fan of Hamilton? >> Never seen it.

Are you planning to watch Hamilton on Disney plus? >> No, because I don’t have Disney+...

Have you seen Hamilton live? (Broadway or elsewhere) >> No...

What is your favorite musical? >> Phantom of the Opera.

Have you watched any musicals online recently? >> No.

What was the last live performance you went to before quarantine? >> The last live performance I saw was the various acts at the Endless Night Vampire Ball in October.

What was the best concert you've ever been to? >> I’ve been to too many concerts to answer this.

Do you volunteer anywhere? >> No.

What is your favorite movie on Netflix? >> ??? There are... so many movies on Netflix.

Did you relocate due to Covid-19? >> No.

What is one positive thing about the past few months for you? >> I’m not sure.

Do you prefer streaming music or buying it? >> I stream it. I can’t in any way afford to buy the amount of music I listen to.

Do you use Spotify? >> Yeah.

What was the last book you read? >> The last book I finished was Making Friends With Death.

Have you been baking during quarantine? >> No. Sparrow did when she was furloughed.

What is your favorite thing to bake? >> I don’t like to bake.

Do you enjoy doing crafts? >> Eh.

Have you ever done crafts for money? >> No.

Do you shop on Etsy? >> Yes.

Have you ever sold anything on Etsy? >> No.

What song are you listening to right now? >> None. I thought about putting some on and then I forgot.

What genre of music is your favorite? >> ---

Can you speak any foreign languages? >> Not fluently.

What is/was your favorite class in school? >> ---

Who was your favorite teacher most recently? >> ---

What is the lock screen and home screen on your phone? >> Lock screen is a shot of Sam from Death Stranding. Home screen is from a live performance of Phantom.

Do you play Animal Crossing? >> Sometimes. Sparrow plays it more than I do, but even she’s stopped playing it as much because of that whole “get your island to a 5-star rating!” bullshit. It’s just aggravating.

Do you have any pets? What kind? What is/are your pet(s) name(s)? >> Sparrow has a cat and his name is Spooky.

what is a song lyric you love? >> Right, I’m definitely not going to think of that off the top of my head right now.

Have you done anything recently to support Black Lives Matter? >> No.

Are there any songs you feel transport you to a world that doesn't exist? >> They transport me to worlds that do exist. Just not on this plane.

What songs do that for you? >> Wardruna is good for it. But there are plenty of others, I’m just not trying to think of them all right now.

What is your favorite ethnicity/cuisine of food? >> Can’t choose.

What are some popular things that you don't like/aren't interested in? >> TikTok is one. Sparrow loves it and I watch the videos she shows me, and I don’t hate it or anything, but I would never download the app myself. Just not interested.

When was the last time you got a haircut? >> I last cut my hair... uh... a week ago? Roundabouts.

What was the last movie (or musical) you watched? >> The last movie I watched was The House That Jack Built.

What was the last movie you saw in the theatre? >> Birds of Prey.

How soon are you planning on going back to work? (If you've been off) >> ---

What is an item you own that means a lot to you? >> I finally got my Death Is the Road To Awe t-shirt and it means a lot to me because of what it references.

Do you have a favorite t-shirt? >> No.

What other proshot musicals would you love to see streaming online? >> *shrug* Haven’t thought about that.

What is something you're looking forward to? >> This heat wave to be over. I’ve had to skip so many daily walks because it’s just so hot so early lately.

How do you plan on celebrating Covid-19 being over, whenever that is? >> The problem with this idea is that... it’s not that simple? From what I understand, it’s not like one day we’re all gonna say “that’s it! we’ve officially eradicated this virus from the earth and we will never have to worry about it again!” I’m guessing it’s going to be a slow process of reopening with a lot of false starts and rollbacks (as new waves crest and protective measures have to be re-implemented). Even that first day that I go out to a restaurant is probably going to feel really weird and even a little “wrong”. I’m not sure how much celebrating is really going to be happening.

[sagebaileyspeaks]

The day is finally upon us and Hamilton has finally reached Disney+ and I just want to say: I’m glad they got this proshot right. 

My experience is limited to Cats and Spongebob but both of those left a few things to be desired. Cats is definitely bizarre and entertaining the lack of audience presence is apparent and gives the film a distance that doesn’t emulate live theater and in the case of Spongebob...listen I’m glad that they took the time to film this musical for the sake of posterity but the proshot of Spongebob is TERRIBLE. Especially if you’ve seen the show live or any of the slime tutorials that are floating around. That proshot suffers from the amount of material that was cut, the lackluster audience and the incredibly stiff direction. When you see the Spongebob Musical live there is so much ENERGY that the director just could not capture. And you can’t tell me that it was too hard to do, because they did it with Cats back in 1998 and they did it here with Hamilton in 2016.

Mini rant out of the way, I think this proshot is amazing and embodies both the experience of live theater and the sheer power of this particular musical. I mean just look at the trailer. I saw a video late last year, coincidentally about Cats, and how the proshot allows you to get those characters more personally and that is absolutely true here. 

Having seen a variety of slime tutorials (sorry Lin!) and the show live in SF, I can tell you with certainty that there are things you just can’t pick up because everything moves so fast in front of you. Facial expressions, slight movements of the hand, I NEVER realized the look of complete devastation on Burr’s face in “The Election of 1800″ but now I do! And in high definition!

In regards to what I think of the musical as a whole: I think that Act 1 is a great representation of the “Double Consciousness” and Act 2 is war of the assholes. And what I mean by that is that on the surface, you have a musical about how great the Revolutionary War and our Founding Fathers are and underneath you have a group of POC going back and forth about best way to approach an oppressive system.

You have Burr who is very much about respectability politics who embodies the, “if we just educate ourselves, talk proper and dress nice and not make too many waves we can rise in this system,” and then you have Hamilton who says, “Fuck that, burn it all down, revolution we get rid of the oppressor by force.” And in these times, lines like “this is not a moment, it’s the movement,” “I’d rather be divisive than indecisive,” “when you’re living on your knees you rise up,” have a lot more meaning than they previously held.

Act 2 on the other hand is when you see that one person who called for revolution get a little bit of power and then sell out the entire movement because it’s now below him. It’s tragic that Burr, Mr.Respectability Politics, can’t rise any higher until he starts acting like a revolutionary, but Hamilton, the self proclaimed revolutionary, rises high because he challenges the system and becomes apart of it. 

If nothing else, I see Hamilton as a musical about how POC in America navigate a system of oppression and work within it. Also Ham’s an asshole, Jefferson’s a snazzy asshole and Burr is a sympathetic - but murderous - asshole and I love it. I’ve read a few articles that say the musical is wrong for painting them as “heroes” but honestly...honestly...every single one of them puts their assholeishness on full display and they’re just fun to watch because they’re terrible people. Like, I don’t watch Jefferson and go “what an amazing job,” I think, “You entertaining son of a bitch.” But that’s just me.  

I think another element that added to my enjoyment was the fact that my experience with the musical live was not great. The actor who was filling in Burr did not have the vocal range required for the role, the person playing Lafayette/Jefferson was - in my opinion - hucking and jiving for white folks (shaking his Afro like JJ from Good Times,) and the audience had an audible negative reaction when a dark skinned Maria Reynolds appeared on stage. The other core numbers “Yorktown,” “Satisfied,” “One Last Time,” and “Schuyler Sisters” were phenomenal, but honestly even watching the slime tutorials weren’t enough to wash the bad taste out of my mouth - but this was! I feel like it was a great substitute for the live experience.

All around Hamilton on Disney+ is a huge recommendation for me ESPECIALLY if you have kids of color. 

[demonlorddante]

Falsettos

Hey there!! Since it’s closing day for the Falsettos Revival, I’m gonna make a long (and probably sappy) post trying to articulate many of my thoughts and feelings about this show as well as I am able to. I’ll put it under a read more so you don’t have to read it if you don’t want to. Sorry in advance that the post is long, but I really hope at least some of you read through it?

Okay here we go: So the first time I listened to the Off-Broadway cast recording of March Of The Falsettos was back in early August 2016. I knew very little about the show at the time, so little, in fact, that I didn’t even know that March Of The Falsettos and Falsettoland were separate. I had just searched “Falsettos” on Spotify and listened to the first thing that showed up. So for like a week, I lived in this weird period of ignorance where I didn’t know what Falsettoland was. Of course, I learned about Falsettoland soon enough, listened to it, and was extremely unprepared for the emotions it brought upon me. So I guess that’s when I started my descent into my obsession with this show. I eventually got a bunch of my friends from instagram and tumblr to listen to Falsettos as well, and as more promotional material for the show was released, the fandom for the Falsettos Revival began to form.

Later, when tickets went on sale, I was fortunate enough to get tickets for a date while my family and I would be in NYC for thanksgiving. One of my online friends wanted to see the show as well and could get tickets, so he got tickets for the same time as I did so we could meet up, which was such an exciting thought!! He and I both counted down the days until we saw the show on November 26th, 2016.

Okay, now I guess I’ll talk about my experience seeing the actual show. I made drawings for each cast member (which can be found here) over a period of like two days before we left for NYC. The first time I passed by the Walter Kerr Theatre was on November 23rd, three days before I saw the show. On the night of the show, we took a taxi from our hotel to the theatre. When we arrived, we went to find our place in line, and then I saw my online friend. We both went over to each other to say hi because neither of us had ever met an internet friend in person before!! We exchanged some art, took a photo, and got in line. We ended up having seats in the same row. Being in the theatre was so surreal. The Cube™ was onstage and I was so excited!!

Basically, from the start to the end of the show, I was in tears. I loved every single second of it. Tracie was not able to perform that night due to hurting her foot, but Stephanie Umoh, who went on for her, was fantastic!! After the show, my friend and I rushed out to stagedoor to wait for actors to come out.

First out was Betsy Wolfe. She was surprised that she was first, and then started coming around to sign. When she got around to my friend and I, we both handed her our art (which she actually recognized!!!). She thanked us and told us she’d put the drawings on her door, and then we got a photo with her and told her she was amazing. Honestly Betsy is one of the sweetest people ever aa I’m so happy that I was able to meet her??

The second (and last) cast member to come out at stagedoor was Anthony Rosenthal. He started signing playbills, and he looked so happy to be there. When he got to us, we handed him our art and he was so so excited!! He was like “I KNOW YOU!!” which was really cool!! He signed our playbills and then we got to take a photo with him. After he finished signing playbills, he was showing our art and the notes we’d written to him to his mom and sister. All three of them came back around to us so that his mom could introduce herself and Celia (his sister) to us, and so that they could thank us for what we gave to Anthony. 

If you’ve made it this far, I wanna thank you!! I’m so so sorry for rambling, it was just such a special and important experience for me and I’m so so eternally grateful that I was able to have it. I’ve never connected to any show as much as I do to Falsettos, and I’m so glad that it exists and that this revival happened. I’ve met so many wonderful people and made so many good friends because of this show and I wouldn’t give that up for the world. Thank you to everyone who worked on the show and to the whole Teeny Tiny Band for sticking together during the show’s run. I hope that we can continue expressing our love for this show even after it has closed and the proshot has aired. You’re all so important to me.

In the words of Marvin, “I love my tight-knit family.”