#but not really cause loving patti lupone is a given

[firephase]

god i fucking love patti lupone

[deviiancetv]

Cinema Starview Presents: It Really Was Agatha All Along

I’m such a lover of the occult, witches, mystical beings and all, so Agatha All Along was a real treat to watch. As someone that loved The Craft, Practical Magic, Halloween Town, Wizard of Oz, Twitches, Hocus Pocus (sorta), AHS Coven, and many other witchy fictional stories in modern day media, this series falls right in line as a potential new comfort show to watch during spooky szn.

I’m not gonna lie, I still hate the name of this show, they could’ve came up or chosen a better name, but that’s not what’s important. Let’s just talk about how well this show was as a return to great storytelling from Marvel, cause they sure as hell have been flopping HARDCORE lately.

For starters can we just give it up to Kathryn Hahn!! 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽 Kathryn is an amazing actress, her comedic timing is something of perfection. Her role as Agatha Harkness is both cunning, calculated, snarky, and yet deeply flawed and caring to her core. Her connection to Billy at the start of it all at first made me think Joe’s character was gonna be a mix of Nicholas and Billy, but Joe Locke being Billy makes a lot more sense. I loved how her story was both tragic and also had lots of depth to it.

I never did watch Heartstopper (don’t plan to) but he definitely fits the role. I think casting Kit Conner as his other half, Hulkling, would be THEE best casting decision and I hope they do that!! As for who Tommy will be, we’ll have to wait and see but I think Tommy will be introduced in that Vision series or maybe even Wonder Man?? And now that Ghost!Agatha and Billy are a team, I’m intrigued to see what adventures they get themselves in when finding Tommy

Might I add that Billy’s room is full of so much pop culture references!!! Like I’m jealous and I definitely need his room as my moodboard template.

I think I say this for everyone, that Aubrey Plaza kills it everytime in her roles. Her monotone and slightly edgy vibe is what makes her great for shows like this. Her role as Rio/Death was very poetic — the phrase “Death comes for us all” is so cryptic and yet so true. It’s the same thing with change being the only constant in life, and life is full of so many deaths and changes, but also there’s so much growth and birth happening all the time. I’m sure we’ll see Rio again, maybe if they FINALLY introduce Mephisto she could act as a henchmen or bounty hunter of sorts for him.

As for the other witches, Alice’s story was sad, but it didn’t feel fully developed as the other witches. Patti LuPone’s role as Lilia is soooo poignant and wispy (as they say). I love Patti’s roles so much, she’s become a favorite of mine over the years and her portrayal of a divination witch was phenomenal. Sasheer Zamata taking on this role was very interesting, I remember her time on SNL and to see her in a dramatic and whimsical setting like this was a nice change.

I’m just so glad her character Jen was able to be unbound by the spell Agatha placed onto her (as well as the cultural significance that represents). In a way, Jen was a final girl given everybody else died, Billy and Rio don’t officially count since they had grander importance than Jen does in terms of the MCU, but good for Jen. I hope we see her again someday.

This show was a nice return to form for Marvel. I’m not the biggest fan of how they treated Wanda in Multiverse of Madness, but I love the creepy supernatural factor that comes with this area of the MCU. I hope they keep it up, but by the looks of it, I’m sure there gonna be more mediocre content until we get to the end of this Multiverse Saga, however this was a nice break in between.

Jac Schaeffer has done it again ✨ they need to give her a raise and make her in charge of the supernatural sector of the MCU.

SCORE: 8/10 ⭐️

[stevenuniversallyreviews]

I don’t need you to love me, I love me

I’m gonna miss writing about Pearl.

As the loneliest Crystal Gem, a loyal servant who became a fierce ally, then a spurned lover, then a grieving survivor, Pearl’s story is about discovering who she can be on her own terms. Like Steven, she believes that her value comes from being valued, but unlike Steven, she was literally programmed this way and has an even harder time breaking loose, so she starts off at the toxic level of selfish selflessness that threatens to consume him, directed towards someone who’s been dead for years. She defines herself by her relationships, but struggles with all of them because she only understands a dynamic where one person is superior and the other is inferior; as such, her life is an endless evaluation of whether she’s worse or better than the people around her, thus whether she should be deferential or condescending. Her problem goes beyond not knowing how to develop loving relationships with equals: she doesn’t know how to love herself.

But she changes her mind.

“We need to talk about us.”

The first act of Change Your Mind (which lines up nicely with its first quarter) sets the stage with Blue and Yellow both converting to Steven’s cause, and while compelling, it’s appropriately intense. That intensity gets even higher as the episode continues, but this is still a big finale, so it’s about damn time for some fanservice.

After a quick “go to your rooms” to reinforce that White Diamond is the Diamonds’ mother more than their older sister, Connie gets the body part pun train rolling: “face-off” will soon be followed by “did you have a hand in this?” and “lend me a hand” (which earns a chuckle from Blue), Pink’s legs succumb when Steven takes a knee, and getting into White’s head becomes the primary goal of the second act (so all of this second quarter and most of the third). Still, the levity seems fleeting before two glints in the sky bring us the one-two punch of Bismuth leading the charge and Lapis and Peridot showing off their threads.

Bismuth fits right in as the leader of the B-Team, as beyond her seniority she’s clearly more competent at running a show than the other two (see: The New Crystal Gems). But her reverse electric guitar soon cedes to a glorious harmony of Lapis and Peridot’s themes as we see their new forms: Lapis gets pants and sandals, and Peridot gets ridiculous shades and a trashcan lid, the perfect adaptation of Static’s saucer for the Crystal Gems’ resident raccoon. Peridot goes ham with three stars, while Lapis wears a subtle dark blue variant that includes all five points if we count her legs. For a moment, everything is right in the world.

Their timing couldn’t be better, and not just because we need some stress relief. Steven begins the finale with one friend on his side, then he gets two Diamonds on his side, and now he has three reinforcements on his side, and this growing group of allies all represent what the Big Three Crystal Gems can’t: the family that Steven has chosen, rather than the family he grew up with. These relationships are all a result of his effort, whether going out of his way to befriend Connie or winning over the five former enemies that now stand at his side, and together they‘re one huge reminder that you can reach people if they’re willing to be reached. White Diamond isn’t a villain because she’s cruel, she’s a villain because she quashes any effort to change her mind.

Furthermore, seeing Lapis and Peridot  in particular next to a pale, prejudiced, recently-discovered member of Steven’s extended family who disagrees with a parent’s name change evokes that other long episode where Steven went out on a limb to change someone’s mind, and the comparison does wonders for putting White Diamond’s bigotry in perspective.

I’ve already made my defense of Andy, but in short, his irritable first impression masks how open-minded he ends up being. Sure, he has some lousy beliefs, but he’s willing to sit down with folks he disagrees with and try and look for ways to either compromise or straight-up be convinced that those beliefs might be wrong. On its own, Gem Harvest could be read as a little too hopeful, especially as it came out weeks after the 2016 election gave proud bigots the White House, but next to Change Your Mind it expands on the finale’s message: keep an open heart and mind, because people can surprise you if you give them a chance, but don’t let yourself be a doormat in the process.

White Diamond would never have come to the Crystal Gems’ table. She still hasn’t even shown up in person since Legs From Here to Homeworld, using a warped version of the same delegation Steven practices in his talks with the Diamonds: he helps others bring their individual experiences to light, showing that his position isn’t unique, while she blots out their individuality and replaces them with her. Blue and Yellow’s contrast has been a plot point for far longer, but Pink and White (and now Steven and White) are an even starker pair of foils, divided not only by personality but by size and age.

Knowing how hard it will be to reach White, Yellow and Blue again suggest that Steven and the Crystal Gems bail, offering their own ships now that Pink’s is unavailable. While this shows how profoundly they believe in him, it again reveals how unfamiliar these two are with being “good.” Beyond the plan only delaying the inevitable (White Diamond for sure could send more troops to Earth in this scenario), Steven points out that his mother failed in both of her identities to confront the problem in a healthy way, and continuing to avoid it will mean it never gets solved. Rose is still a progression from Pink and Yellow and Blue, as fighting for your beliefs addresses the issue more directly than running away, but Steven in turn is a progression from Rose.

Then Connie’s opening words in Blue and Yellow’s conversions pay off. This time she’s the one ending the conversation, and she’s gained enough of their attention that they don’t write her off as a blathering human. Steven never got to meet Rose, rank-and-file Gems don’t have parents, and White Diamond seems to be the root of it all, so Connie is the ideal voice to reach the Diamond Sisters: she’s the only other person on the planet with a living mother. Where Dr. Maheswaran at her worst once stood in for Yellow Diamond, she can now represent the bigger fish, both in her similar brand of maternal tyranny and in the hope that her attitude can change after a good talk.

And just as Connie takes over Steven’s role as the big finisher for Blue and Yellow, Steven takes over Connie’s role as the voice introducing bigger voices now that it’s time to face White. He works with his aunts to bring his grandmother to a standstill—not by beating her statue-like ship into submission, but by joining the arm-ships to the body and completing the picture—and says his piece briefly before ceding the floor to a pair that White has victimized for far longer than the past week or so.

I love that Yellow is the first to speak, flipping the Diamonds’ conversion order and subverting the notion that the more emotionally open Blue might take the lead. This isn’t just a matter of clarity, but bravery, and Yellow has always been the more confrontational of the pair. It’s also that much more impactful to see Yellow push past her fear and allow herself to be vulnerable, given how hard she’s worked to maintain her air of stoicism. Patti LuPone’s raw power has served the character well, and she keeps up the same petulant energy that saw Yellow dishing about White in Familiar, but now she funnels all of it into a stirring argument against the exacting nature of Homeworld society. And because Yellow helps pave the way, Blue can deepen their point by defending Pink’s role in the quartet and detailing how White’s orders have caused the whole family to suffer.

Steven bookends the Diamonds by suggesting that White can start helping everyone by helping her daughters. Then White shows what kind of “help” she’s willing to provide.

Pink’s former pearl was already proof that White Diamond has the power to possess others, but it’s another thing to see it in action. The whole episode so far has been about building up hope again after Steven is knocked down by Homeworld, but all it takes is one agonizing glare to send everything backwards. Blue and Yellow are even worse off than they were before, and as they’re brought into White’s fold, their arms follow suit. White drops the Crystal Gems and lets them fall, then Steven drops the Crystal Gems and dives after them.

As he slides down alien architecture on his shield, the soundtrack gives a nod to the theme song to prepare us for more fanservice. Now that White has made it clear that talking isn’t going to get us anywhere, it’s time for more action. Now that we’ve established the importance of Steven’s chosen family, it’s time to reconnect with the family he was born into.

Amethyst is first, because of course she is. She’s usually the quickest to reform, and she’s the only Gem that Steven has fused with, so Smoky Quartz is the best start if the goal is reeling off three fusions in a row with a growing sense of excitement. Smoky’s theme heralds this new development with glee, evoking the pure joy of seeing a new fusion from Earthlings as it becomes clear what the show is doing. Fusion has recently featured as a stand-in for marriage and an act of rebellion, but now it represents familial love, and doubles as an elegant plot device to get the poofed crew back in action. The wonder of fusion has always been that beyond whatever metaphor it currently serves, it’s also just a really neat piece of magic that lends itself to awesome visuals, and this whole sequence revels in the glorious spectacle.

Pearl is second, because we’ve already seen another version of Rainbow Quartz, so the biggest reveal is bound to be the Garnet fusion. Rainbow Quartz 2.0 blends the old with the new, immediately showing off the latest clever fusion of weapons (a shield and a spear into a parasol) and introducing a blue jacket that will soon belong to Pearl. The drumkit/chiptune mashup of Smoky’s theme is replaced by a piano/chiptune mashup, and then this new fusion opens their mouth.

Of all of Steven’s fusions with a female or female-presenting partner, this is the one with a male voice actor, and it couldn’t be more perfect. Rainbow Quartz was the only one of Rose’s fusions that we saw, and Now We’re Only Falling Apart shows that she was the second-ever cross-Gem fusion after Garnet (that we know of), so she was clearly something special. Pearl’s romantic interest in Rose complicates matters further, as Rainbow Quartz is an embodiment of a deeply imperfect relationship. This is a character with a lot of baggage, but casting Alastair James puts a hard stop to the idea that this is the same Rainbow Quartz, even before we hear them refer to themself as “2.0.” After the literal nightmare that begins Change Your Mind and the figurative nightmare to come, it’s wonderful to have one more piece of evidence that Steven and Rose are different people.

Amethyst and Pearl, like Lapis and Peridot, get great new looks, and they’ll soon be followed by Garnet (after the commercial break). If this was just for the sake of fanservice, it’d be more than enough: it’s always fun to get outfit changes, and between that and the fusions (including Sunstone and Obsidian; again, after the commercial break!) we get a pleasant treat to sate us between the drama. But as always, the show finds a way to create deeper meaning in the magic.

The Diamonds look the same now as they did thousands of years ago, and one of the reasons why is that they’re unbreakable. Creating a new form requires poofing, which is a very silly way to say that the Crystal Gems have found a way to grow through pain.

Life will always have its share of pain. Part of growing up, maybe the biggest part, is figuring out what you’re going to do about it. The Diamonds react to pain by closing themselves off and letting their problems fester rather than addressing them head-on. But over the course of the series, Lapis and Peridot and Amethyst and Pearl and Garnet have put in the work to learn from their pain and heal, and because they’re literal projections of their true selves, they get a physical manifestation of that growth that can only come after weathering one more blow.

To be clear, pain itself shouldn’t be glamorized. It sucks, and it’s okay if your reaction is to take care of yourself rather than use it for Creative Fuel. But the Crystal Gems are what happens when you deal with your pain, and the Diamonds are what happens when you don’t. And because Steven shares the legacy of both, Steven Universe is about him helping others through their pain and Steven Universe Future is about finally confronting his own.

We end with the most frustrating commercial break of the three, coming right in the middle of the second act, so we’ll just keep on going with fusions and new outfits next time. But if we have to stop partway through a scene, at least we get a Monty Python Foot to stamp out the first half of Change Your Mind.

I Can’t Believe We’ve Come So Far

Hilary Florido is the only storyboarder with their own recurring segment in Steven, Universally. But every other storyboarder had plenty of opportunities to make a fully realized High School AU in their promo art, and none of them did, so that’s on them.

Florido is obviously more than her promo art, but it speaks to a specific level of nerdy passion that made her and longtime coboarder Jesse Zuke so dang good at Peridot episodes, starting with just their second collaboration, the iconic Catch and Release. From there they gave us Too Far and Log Date 7 15 2 and Barn Mates and Too Short to Ride and Beta and Gem Harvest, and Florido kept the ride going with Raising the Barn. Peridot would not be Peridot without Hilary Florido.

In terms of more serious clods, Florido is the only person to board all three Kevin appearances (Alone Together with Rebecca Sugar and first regular coboarder Katie Mitroff, Beach City Drift with Zuke, and Kevin Party with final regular coboarder Danny Cragg, who also stopped boarding after the movie). She gave us as Ronaldo at his worst in Rocknaldo and Aquamarine at her worst in I Am My Mom. And as if she needed further proof of her prowess with harrowing material, she gave us Alone at Sea and A Single Pale Rose.

It’s weird to attribute good Steven writing to any one boarder, given he’s in every episode but Jungle Moon and he’s generally pretty great, but Florido worked on some of the most important moments of Steven letting us into his deeper thoughts: she’s behind him getting real with the Cool Kids in Joy Ride, with Amethyst in Steven vs. Amethyst, and with himself in a rare monologue in Lion 4. His ability to discuss the uncomfortable subtext of Mystery Girl’s visual similarity to Rose is key to the magnificent tone of Last One Out of Beach City, and his introspection about his mother’s older identity is just as important to Familiar.

In short, Hilary Florido rocked at characters with rough edges, whether it was Peridot’s ornery id, a bevy of outright villains ruining everyone’s day, normally sympathetic characters doing dubious things, or Steven giving himself enough of a break to complain. She stepped up as a storyboard supervisor for Steven Universe Future, but even if she hadn’t, her legacy would be secure.

(Frankly it’d be secure even if the only thing she gave us was this.)

[odannygirl7]

Carnival of Aros - July 2020

I've been meaning to type about this for a while, but then this month's carnival of aros is about music, so I figured... well, two birds one stone I suppose lol.

Musicals are sort of like music right? I mean, I don’t think this is too far from the idea, even if it was meant to be about, like, individual songs.

This is about a whole musical where I just immediately felt that it was a missed aromantic opportunity.

Company.

Company is a musical by Sondheim from the 70s that seems to be brought back every decade or so. It’s about a guy, Bobby, on the night of his 35th birthday. He’s a bachelor, the only one among a bevy of married friends - all of whom wonder why he can’t keep a girl and hasn’t gotten married yet. The show moves through snippets of Bobby’s experiences with his friends… they’re all basically trapped between the horribleness of being married and the horribleness of, well, not. They love Bobby for his freedom, for the advice he gives, for the fun he brings into their life, for watching their kids, for always being there without being a detriment to their coupleness.

But the entire play is them badgering him about why he isn’t getting married.

There’s also three of Bobby’s girlfriends who wonder the same thing, what’s wrong with him, why can’t he commit.

One could also view it as Bobby internalizing everything his friends and lovers have said in the past and having a freak out about it. The whole show is kinda… disjointed in that, while it takes place all on one night, the majority of scenes are from the past or possibly not real.

The show is set up, for most people, to be a commentary about, idk, like growing up or realizing that you can’t be alone or you gotta be open and vulnerable, but like you need to share your life with someone and that someone… uhh, can’t be your friends cause they all have their significant others and that’s the way things are (*hard side eye* lmao). And that’s a real shame, because the show is this wonderfully accidental portrait of a closeted aromantic struggling not only with the pressure of the conventional relationship narrative, but with friends who buy into that. Bobby doesn’t know what he is, or can’t accept it, or can’t admit it, and he’s struggling to force himself to feel the things that come so naturally to everyone he knows.  He wants love, to be loved, but what’s in him, what he’s capable of, isn’t what everyone else has. I mean, look, he’s 35 and has never been in love, doesn’t understand love… *looks into the camera like I’m on The Office* come on.

I’m not going to go through the whole show, just hit on some highlights that scream aromantic to me, cause not all the songs are about Bobby’s relationships. Some are about the other character’s relationships. There’s 18 songs in this musical, lots of material.

Here’s a link to the whole thing … this is the 2006 version with Raul Esparza, who is fantastic.

We’ll start in Act 1 and go from there. About halfway through we get Bobby’s three girlfriends singing “You Could Drive a Person Crazy". This is an upbeat, vicious song about how they feel betrayed that he never takes things to the next level. They can understand if he was gay, or bad in bed, or actually dead… but Bobby is none of those things, instead he’s a crazy, troubled, person who has something wrong with him. He’s a zombie with a loose connection.

I don’t think I’m the only aro who’s been called similar.

Later Bobby sings about someone (“Someone is Waiting”)… an amalgamation of all his lady friends… pleading for this person to wait, because he’s ready. He wants to find them, if he’s not out of luck and too late. He already has what he’s looking for, theoretically… if only an alternative relationship structure existed. As is, he has to try and find someone new. Conform to the idea of the superiority and inevitability of the exclusive pair bonded romantic-sexual relationship.

When one of his friends is freaking out about getting married, close to calling off the wedding, he proposes to her. Because it makes sense. She doesn’t want to be married, he doesn’t want to be married, they can both be married and have their freedom, everyone will leave them alone.

“You have to want to marry somebody, not just some body,” says Bobby’s friend, deciding that she really does want to marry her fiance.

This leads to Bobby singing “Marry Me A Little”, imagining a marriage as being soft and respectful, no big fights, no big promises… and that he’s ready for that. Things like mutual respect and care. “We won’t have to give up a thing, we’ll stay who we are,” he sings. “I’m ready now.”

There comes a point as an aro (tho this applies to aces and people of any orientation who don’t really want a relationship as well), or for, I think, a lot, or a good number, of aros when you start looking at a future that doesn’t have the spouse and the kids and pets and picket fence. When you start to come to grips that you might be looking at an empty road instead. And it’s not necessarily that you don’t want that, or that you really want something else, but there’s a kinda scary point where you realize that it might just be you, alone. That no matter what friends you have or partners or whatever… that they’re eventually going to want to “get serious” and “have their own lives”, lives that don't include you as a main component. And “somebody”, anybody, that will make it so you’re not alone starts sounding pretty good. You’re almost desperate for it. If you could just find that right person, the one that would make it make sense to have the spouse and kids and pets and picket fence… you could do that. You could. It’d be so easy. And then you’d have someone and isn’t that what everyone wants?

Anyway… Act 2.

All the married couples sing about how much they love having Bobby around in "Side by Side by Side". But then also rag on him about how worried they are for him being alone and try to set him up ("Poor Baby" and "Have I Got A Girl for You"), which is par for the course I think for an aro.

There’s also “Barcelona”, where Bobby makes a vague, surface, “going through the motions” plea to one of his girlfriends that she should stay after they’ve slept together. He doesn’t try very hard and when she decides to stay, well he sings “oh god”. ‘Nuff said.

All of that is, you know, it builds, but the real highlight in Act 2 is “Being Alive”, which is where Bobby finally learns that he really does need someone.

Or, you know, when he’s been beaten down by life and his friends and partners so badly and so thoroughly that he decides that he’s not even alive if he’s alone. That he needs another person to make him alive. “Alone is alone, not alive.” Tragic.

He starts off with things like being held too close and hurt too deep, to which his friends comment about how he can’t possibly think that that’s all there is, telling him he has no reason to be alone, encouraging him to keep going cause he’s “on to something”.

Bobby’s seen the terrible bits of their marriages and, to his friends, also the good bits. But if you read Bobby as aromantic then he has no context for the “good bits”. He’s watched them dig at one another with secret info, argue, pester, have the other person say they hate it… and then it’s just fine, because of ~feelings~??? Incomprehensible magic. There’s a trick in there somewhere and Bobby can’t see it.

But Bobby’s trying. Forcing himself. If he just really thinks about everything they’ve told him...

“Hey, buddy, don't be afraid it won't be perfect. The only thing to be afraid of really is that it won't be,” says one friend. Yikes. “It's much better living it than looking at it, Robert,” says another. And I suppose if you do have feelings for someone, it’s not that bad.

Bobby finally… it’s sad, really… like I know it’s supposed to be a song of him figuring everything out, but it feels like a descent. He’s given in. He believes there’s literally nothing for him, he’s not living, unless he has another person. “make me aware of being alive” “make me alive”

Horrific.

I’m not entirely sure how, like if this show were to be reworked with Bobby as aromantic (and god knows it gets revived enough, it could happen if anyone knew what aromanticity was) how that would be communicated. Unless, like, you had Bobby admitting that he is aro from the start, but you’d have to assume that the audience would know what that was and actually, you know, not agree with all the other characters.

The latest revival in 2018 did a gender swap with Bobby, which is something. Now, I had thought it was just Bobby as the swap, but they swapped all her girlfriends into boyfriends and then made one of the married couples gay. Apparently, according to reviews, the whole thing was a revelation and really freshened up because, you know, it’s super hip and modern to do a “ticking bio clock” story line with a woman nowadays. (there's also the soundtrack to the gender swap on youtube, it's got Pattie LuPone in it!)

Personally, I would have just swapped Bobby… I’m not sure how well an aro reading there would play, not because there aren’t aro lesbians, but I feel like there are a lot of layers to a lesbian not wanting to u-haul and then getting harangued for it by her presumably hetero friends steeped in hetero society, just aside from any aromanticity.

But the whole thing takes on a very tragic tone when reading Bobby as aro, I think. I suppose what’s even more tragic is that Sondheim probably has no idea that he possibly wrote an aromantic character. He thinks he wrote a show about fixing someone who was broken. Just like the show Bones fixed Bones from being broken and how HIMYM fixed Robin and (tried to fix) Barney. I need to find a better way to end this, probably, we’ll see…

I wrote this three weeks ago on pillowfort and did not find a better ending lmao.

[dearamaliabalash]

4, 11, 13, 22, 28, 39

4. favorite song about a city

ooo! id have to go with either ‘my manhattan’ from daddy long legs, or ‘santa fe’, cause thats just an absolute classic. ‘my manhattan’ is such a wonderful song, that really captures the hustle and bustle of that beautiful city. 10/10 would give it a listen. ;)

11. favorite broadway leading lady

miss patti lupone!! she's got range, talent, and sass - a powerful combination. i was only a few weeks away from seeing her in company, when the pandemic hit :/ and I also love laura benanti, kelli ohara, bette midler, ect. too many favs!!!

13. your first broadway crush

not a surprise but, zachary levi 🙃 oh and also gavin creel cause he's such a sweetheart. when I met him at the dolly! stage door I sounded like a complete FOOL, but he was so so kind. 

22. how do you pronounce “reprise”?

rEE-prise. 

28. show that’s not your favorite but you feel deserves an honorable mention

hmm. id say either ‘my fair lady’, ‘parade’, or ‘the secret garden’. these are all shows I hardly ever talk about, but I love them so much! I wish their was a larger group of people on here that liked ‘parade’ - cause honestly, what a powerful show. 

39. favorite broadway trope

I think id have to go with ‘Power Couple/Trio Sings Show-stopping Duet’. think: ‘move on’, ‘all the wasted time’, ‘a step too far’, ect. duets are always so powerful to me, and are often my favorite songs from any given musical! 

thank you SO much for all the asks!!! ❤️

find the questions here :)

[demitgibbs]

Q&A: An Intimate Evening with Deborah Cox

The South Florida community is invited to a sneak peek into the newest project starring Grammy Award-nominated and multi-platinum recording artist and actress Deborah Cox live at Seaspice, located on the banks of the Miami River. Acclaimed for her starring roles in the hit musicals The Bodyguard, Aida and Jekyll & Hyde, this concert will chart new territory and give you a behind-the-scenes look into Deborah’s latest collaboration. You’ll hear “hits” that you know, new songs that you’ll love and intimate stories from Deborah’s exciting career. Created with renowned Broadway talents Director Richard Jay-Alexander of Les Misérables, The Phantom of the Opera and Miss Saigon and Musical Director Joseph Joubert of Motown, The Color Purple and Billy Elliot, this special performance will showcase the sheer beauty and artistry of Deborah Cox like never before. Proceeds from “Arsht Live at Seaspice” support the Arsht Center’s numerous Arts Education initiatives that annually serve more than 55,000 Miami-Dade children and their families.

It was a pleasure to sit down with Deborah Cox and Richard Jay-Alexander (separately) for this Hotspots exclusive Interview:

When did performing become an interest of yours?

It started when I was 11 doing different talent shows and other things, and then I went to a performing arts high school.

What was your first professional gig?

It was my first commercial, and it was for Marvelous Muffins. I was paid $50.

When did you know singing/performing would be your career?

Probably when I was in high school. I was the one that was always tired in first period as I had a gig the night before. It was somewhere around 17.

You have collaborated with many artists. Do you have a favorite and why?

My favorite is the duet I did with Whitney Houston. The reason for that is I felt like everything came full circle for me as an artist. Growing up I looked up to and admired her so much!

You have received many awards for your efforts in the fight for human rights. What made you decide to use your fame for this cause and has this been rewarding for you?

It’s been really rewarding as it came out of purely organic situations. I had lost a few friends from AIDS, and I had other gay and lesbian friends who were shamed and kicked out of their family’s homes. This made me want to speak up on human rights issues, and I have never stopped!

Your Broadway debut was in Aida, how did this come about and tell us about the experience?

I was literally in between albums and had just given birth to my son. The producers were looking for a new AIDA and I just went for it, and got cast. It rekindled my love for musical theater which I had done prior to my albums.

You were recently in the Broadway Tour of the Bodyguard, which, I must say you were AMAZING in, can you tell me about that experience?

Thanks! It was a very liberating experience. It was the most challenging role to date because I knew what the expectations were and I had to deliver 13 Whitney Houston hits!! What I didn’t know was the discipline this role would require. That meant no wine, tons of water, no coffee and being at my very best vocally so I couldn’t afford to get sick. My only days off were the travel day to the next city. I also felt that it came full circle for me. I was able to pay tribute to a long-time mentor, label mate and friend.

Describe yourself in three words?

Focused, nurturing, and fearless.

What should the South Florida audiences expect from this sneak peek of your new show?

Well, this will be the first time working and creating anything like this with Richard. I decided to work with him because I’ve been a fan of his work with the legends. I was introduced to him through a mutual friend and we clicked. I think everything has to do with chemistry and being able to trust a director that will bring out the best in you. I’m a little anxious about the journey.

I am not sure what kind of show they will get because I don’t know what it is yet. I am so excited that the Adrienne Arsht Center and Seaspice are allowing me to test out this experiment right here at home. I wanted to be able to do a show that really reflected on my influences, my likes and I wanted to share more of my own personal stories. I felt like it was time to get off the dance floor for a moment and bring the audience into my living room!

Part of the proceeds from this concert will benefit the Arsht Center’s award winning arts education programs. As an artist, why do you believe arts education is important for our local youth and students?

It’s Huge to have support for our arts programs. Where would we be without the performing arts? I think our youth need an outlet to express themselves. I also feel that we have to nurture the talent and keep programs growing where they can do workshops and have the opportunity to learn from professionals. The summer programs are amazing. I also think that it’s encouraging for them to know that there are world class artists right here at home and to see themselves as a part of that picture.

What does the future hold for you?

More music, live performances and more activism. I think more now than ever we as artists need to use our platform to bring awareness to some of the things we are most passionate about.

Richard Jay-Alexander – Photo by Bruce Glikas

You started out as an actor and now you are a famous director, do you like one more than the other, and what are the differences, creatively?

I love directing, but I didn’t really see it coming in the early parts of my career. When you fall in love with theatre, all you see is the performances. You’re not aware of all of the other skills that go into the creation of the final product. Leadership is also part of directing and I guess when you add up all the years of being class president, producing carnivals for muscular dystrophy as a youth, and anything authoritative like that, it all seems to add up to this trajectory.

As an actor, you have worked with celebrities such as Bernadette Peters, Patti LuPone (those two alone make me want to die and go to heaven), Tim Curry, Ron Moody, and Sir Ian McKellen. What did you learn from working with such superstars?

Wow! What a question! I’ve been a professional in the business for 43 years now, and I’m STILL learning “lessons.” Just listening to you drop those names my mind gets flooded with so many things, but, trust me, I have learned from each and every one of the people I have worked with.

As a director, you have worked with even more celebrities. Do you learn more directing or acting, and why?

Why are you asking these difficult questions? It’s crazy and I feel totally blessed to have worked with as many people as I have. But, I’m also fortunate that I’ve worked with so many people that I have admired while growing up, myself. I’ve recently begun to be referred to as “The Diva Whisperer” and it makes me laugh, but I sort of like it, too. I was dubbed that in a meeting with a great dame named Lisa Sharkey, who is the Senior Vice President Director of Creative Development at HarperCollins. We were in a meeting talking about the possibility of a book deal. Having been an actor, a stage manager, a singer, a dancer, a production assistant, a script reader… ALL of those things come into play every single time I step into a rehearsal with a cast or a star. Being able to jump in and out of hoops, myself, helps take away some of the fear, and puts me on the same playing field as whomever I’m working with.

You have directed shows in some of the most famous Concert Halls in the world. Do you have a favorite, and why?

Okay you’re now “officially” the smartest interview I’ve ever had. You haven’t asked me one repeat question from all the years I’ve been doing interviews. Every single venue is awesome in and of itself, but I must say, Carnegie Hall and The Hollywood Bowl are two of my absolute favorites. Every time I return to either of those, I still get chills.

You are on the Executive Board of one of my favorite organizations: Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. When did you get on the Board, and tell our readers why?

Okay, you’re killing me, now! I’ve been on the board since near the very beginning and was there when Equity Fights AIDS and Broadway Cares came together as one. It was a simple decision, really. Our business was being obliterated by the loss of lives and talent. To this day, sitting on that board and being led by Tom Viola, our Executive Director, and a committee of leaders in the theater community is one of my proudest responsibilities.

You are also Camp Director for Kristin Chenoweth’s Broadway Bootcamp. What made you take this position and is Kristin as super sweet as I think she is?

Being the Camp Director for Kristin Chenoweth’s Broadway Bootcamp fell in my lap out of nowhere. When we were on Broadway doing “Kristin Chenoweth: My Love Letter to Broadway,” I was in her dressing room one night, and she was despondent over the direction her camp was going in. She had dreams and goals for it, and felt they might be off-track. This happens to many not-for-profits in their early years, and, at that point, I volunteered to step in and help her. It has been a joy, and is one of my favorite things I look forward to every year. The kids are high school age and theatre obsessed, so they’re basically ME, when I was that age. Kristin is a marvel and insanely talented. But she cares about proper education, the arts, and helping young people realize that training and having a career can be within your grasp… no matter where you live or come from. This is also why Deborah Cox and I are doing The Seaspice Event which supports The Adrienne Arsht Center’s Arts Education and Community Outreach Programs.

How did your new project with Deborah Cox come about, and what should our readers expect from this sneak peek of your new collaboration?

This is a very happy story. I went to see The Bodyguard on tour when it played The Arsht. I knew about Deborah Cox and her music, but I had never laid eyes on her, on a stage. Everyone knows this NOW, but, that night, I threw my shoe in the air more than a couple of times. I remember thinking to myself, “SURELY, she’s doing this for me. She can’t possibly do this eight times a week!” Just weeks later, I received an email from a leading producer in New York, named Nick Scandalios (who also sits on the BC/EFA board) telling me that Deborah wants to put together a new show, and expand her wings, musically, beyond her legendary dance & music career. We arranged a meeting… it was pretty magical… and, here we are! We’re in the middle of the process, and we’re exploring all kinds of music, and also her unique background and story. The people who attend the event at Seaspice are going to witness where we’re at mid-process, and how and why we’re trying to analyze and conquer the type of material we want to share with an audience. I don’t believe this is done at a regional level, or a local level, but at a world-class level, and what we arrive at, ultimately, should be able to grace any stage across the globe. Deborah is nervous because she feels people expect a certain something, and they will get that, but, I have assured her that they will join her for the rest of the ride, as we move forward. It’s always scary, whether it’s Barbra, Bette, Bernadette, etc. But, we do it together, and we also have the guidance of a brilliant musical director, who is a star in his own right, and his name is Joseph Joubert.

One of the most fascinating things about Deborah, was learning that she is Canadian. More on that as well as being a mom, a wife, an activist, a dance diva, a friend of Whitney Houston’s, a Broadway star, a Fashionista, etc. when we see you at Seaspice.

Arsht Live at Seaspice (422 NW North River Drive, Miami, FL) featuring Deborah Cox takes place on Thursday, January 31 at 7pm with tickets starting at $75.

from Hotspots! Magazine https://hotspotsmagazine.com/2019/01/24/qa-an-intimate-evening-with-deborah-cox/ from Hot Spots Magazine https://hotspotsmagazine.tumblr.com/post/182270897215

[hotspotsmagazine]

Q&A: An Intimate Evening with Deborah Cox

The South Florida community is invited to a sneak peek into the newest project starring Grammy Award-nominated and multi-platinum recording artist and actress Deborah Cox live at Seaspice, located on the banks of the Miami River. Acclaimed for her starring roles in the hit musicals The Bodyguard, Aida and Jekyll & Hyde, this concert will chart new territory and give you a behind-the-scenes look into Deborah’s latest collaboration. You’ll hear “hits” that you know, new songs that you’ll love and intimate stories from Deborah’s exciting career. Created with renowned Broadway talents Director Richard Jay-Alexander of Les Misérables, The Phantom of the Opera and Miss Saigon and Musical Director Joseph Joubert of Motown, The Color Purple and Billy Elliot, this special performance will showcase the sheer beauty and artistry of Deborah Cox like never before. Proceeds from “Arsht Live at Seaspice” support the Arsht Center’s numerous Arts Education initiatives that annually serve more than 55,000 Miami-Dade children and their families.

It was a pleasure to sit down with Deborah Cox and Richard Jay-Alexander (separately) for this Hotspots exclusive Interview:

When did performing become an interest of yours?

It started when I was 11 doing different talent shows and other things, and then I went to a performing arts high school.

What was your first professional gig?

It was my first commercial, and it was for Marvelous Muffins. I was paid $50.

When did you know singing/performing would be your career?

Probably when I was in high school. I was the one that was always tired in first period as I had a gig the night before. It was somewhere around 17.

You have collaborated with many artists. Do you have a favorite and why?

My favorite is the duet I did with Whitney Houston. The reason for that is I felt like everything came full circle for me as an artist. Growing up I looked up to and admired her so much!

You have received many awards for your efforts in the fight for human rights. What made you decide to use your fame for this cause and has this been rewarding for you?

It’s been really rewarding as it came out of purely organic situations. I had lost a few friends from AIDS, and I had other gay and lesbian friends who were shamed and kicked out of their family’s homes. This made me want to speak up on human rights issues, and I have never stopped!

Your Broadway debut was in Aida, how did this come about and tell us about the experience?

I was literally in between albums and had just given birth to my son. The producers were looking for a new AIDA and I just went for it, and got cast. It rekindled my love for musical theater which I had done prior to my albums.

You were recently in the Broadway Tour of the Bodyguard, which, I must say you were AMAZING in, can you tell me about that experience?

Thanks! It was a very liberating experience. It was the most challenging role to date because I knew what the expectations were and I had to deliver 13 Whitney Houston hits!! What I didn’t know was the discipline this role would require. That meant no wine, tons of water, no coffee and being at my very best vocally so I couldn’t afford to get sick. My only days off were the travel day to the next city. I also felt that it came full circle for me. I was able to pay tribute to a long-time mentor, label mate and friend.

Describe yourself in three words?

Focused, nurturing, and fearless.

What should the South Florida audiences expect from this sneak peek of your new show?

Well, this will be the first time working and creating anything like this with Richard. I decided to work with him because I’ve been a fan of his work with the legends. I was introduced to him through a mutual friend and we clicked. I think everything has to do with chemistry and being able to trust a director that will bring out the best in you. I’m a little anxious about the journey.

I am not sure what kind of show they will get because I don’t know what it is yet. I am so excited that the Adrienne Arsht Center and Seaspice are allowing me to test out this experiment right here at home. I wanted to be able to do a show that really reflected on my influences, my likes and I wanted to share more of my own personal stories. I felt like it was time to get off the dance floor for a moment and bring the audience into my living room!

Part of the proceeds from this concert will benefit the Arsht Center’s award winning arts education programs. As an artist, why do you believe arts education is important for our local youth and students?

It’s Huge to have support for our arts programs. Where would we be without the performing arts? I think our youth need an outlet to express themselves. I also feel that we have to nurture the talent and keep programs growing where they can do workshops and have the opportunity to learn from professionals. The summer programs are amazing. I also think that it’s encouraging for them to know that there are world class artists right here at home and to see themselves as a part of that picture.

What does the future hold for you?

More music, live performances and more activism. I think more now than ever we as artists need to use our platform to bring awareness to some of the things we are most passionate about.

Richard Jay-Alexander – Photo by Bruce Glikas

You started out as an actor and now you are a famous director, do you like one more than the other, and what are the differences, creatively?

I love directing, but I didn’t really see it coming in the early parts of my career. When you fall in love with theatre, all you see is the performances. You’re not aware of all of the other skills that go into the creation of the final product. Leadership is also part of directing and I guess when you add up all the years of being class president, producing carnivals for muscular dystrophy as a youth, and anything authoritative like that, it all seems to add up to this trajectory.

As an actor, you have worked with celebrities such as Bernadette Peters, Patti LuPone (those two alone make me want to die and go to heaven), Tim Curry, Ron Moody, and Sir Ian McKellen. What did you learn from working with such superstars?

Wow! What a question! I’ve been a professional in the business for 43 years now, and I’m STILL learning “lessons.” Just listening to you drop those names my mind gets flooded with so many things, but, trust me, I have learned from each and every one of the people I have worked with.

As a director, you have worked with even more celebrities. Do you learn more directing or acting, and why?

Why are you asking these difficult questions? It’s crazy and I feel totally blessed to have worked with as many people as I have. But, I’m also fortunate that I’ve worked with so many people that I have admired while growing up, myself. I’ve recently begun to be referred to as “The Diva Whisperer” and it makes me laugh, but I sort of like it, too. I was dubbed that in a meeting with a great dame named Lisa Sharkey, who is the Senior Vice President Director of Creative Development at HarperCollins. We were in a meeting talking about the possibility of a book deal. Having been an actor, a stage manager, a singer, a dancer, a production assistant, a script reader… ALL of those things come into play every single time I step into a rehearsal with a cast or a star. Being able to jump in and out of hoops, myself, helps take away some of the fear, and puts me on the same playing field as whomever I’m working with.

You have directed shows in some of the most famous Concert Halls in the world. Do you have a favorite, and why?

Okay you’re now “officially” the smartest interview I’ve ever had. You haven’t asked me one repeat question from all the years I’ve been doing interviews. Every single venue is awesome in and of itself, but I must say, Carnegie Hall and The Hollywood Bowl are two of my absolute favorites. Every time I return to either of those, I still get chills.

You are on the Executive Board of one of my favorite organizations: Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. When did you get on the Board, and tell our readers why?

Okay, you’re killing me, now! I’ve been on the board since near the very beginning and was there when Equity Fights AIDS and Broadway Cares came together as one. It was a simple decision, really. Our business was being obliterated by the loss of lives and talent. To this day, sitting on that board and being led by Tom Viola, our Executive Director, and a committee of leaders in the theater community is one of my proudest responsibilities.

You are also Camp Director for Kristin Chenoweth’s Broadway Bootcamp. What made you take this position and is Kristin as super sweet as I think she is?

Being the Camp Director for Kristin Chenoweth’s Broadway Bootcamp fell in my lap out of nowhere. When we were on Broadway doing “Kristin Chenoweth: My Love Letter to Broadway,” I was in her dressing room one night, and she was despondent over the direction her camp was going in. She had dreams and goals for it, and felt they might be off-track. This happens to many not-for-profits in their early years, and, at that point, I volunteered to step in and help her. It has been a joy, and is one of my favorite things I look forward to every year. The kids are high school age and theatre obsessed, so they’re basically ME, when I was that age. Kristin is a marvel and insanely talented. But she cares about proper education, the arts, and helping young people realize that training and having a career can be within your grasp… no matter where you live or come from. This is also why Deborah Cox and I are doing The Seaspice Event which supports The Adrienne Arsht Center’s Arts Education and Community Outreach Programs.

How did your new project with Deborah Cox come about, and what should our readers expect from this sneak peek of your new collaboration?

This is a very happy story. I went to see The Bodyguard on tour when it played The Arsht. I knew about Deborah Cox and her music, but I had never laid eyes on her, on a stage. Everyone knows this NOW, but, that night, I threw my shoe in the air more than a couple of times. I remember thinking to myself, “SURELY, she’s doing this for me. She can’t possibly do this eight times a week!” Just weeks later, I received an email from a leading producer in New York, named Nick Scandalios (who also sits on the BC/EFA board) telling me that Deborah wants to put together a new show, and expand her wings, musically, beyond her legendary dance & music career. We arranged a meeting… it was pretty magical… and, here we are! We’re in the middle of the process, and we’re exploring all kinds of music, and also her unique background and story. The people who attend the event at Seaspice are going to witness where we’re at mid-process, and how and why we’re trying to analyze and conquer the type of material we want to share with an audience. I don’t believe this is done at a regional level, or a local level, but at a world-class level, and what we arrive at, ultimately, should be able to grace any stage across the globe. Deborah is nervous because she feels people expect a certain something, and they will get that, but, I have assured her that they will join her for the rest of the ride, as we move forward. It’s always scary, whether it’s Barbra, Bette, Bernadette, etc. But, we do it together, and we also have the guidance of a brilliant musical director, who is a star in his own right, and his name is Joseph Joubert.

One of the most fascinating things about Deborah, was learning that she is Canadian. More on that as well as being a mom, a wife, an activist, a dance diva, a friend of Whitney Houston’s, a Broadway star, a Fashionista, etc. when we see you at Seaspice.

Arsht Live at Seaspice (422 NW North River Drive, Miami, FL) featuring Deborah Cox takes place on Thursday, January 31 at 7pm with tickets starting at $75.

from Hotspots! Magazine https://hotspotsmagazine.com/2019/01/24/qa-an-intimate-evening-with-deborah-cox/