#college has been kicking my ass ough

[flowery-king]

Gimme some characters or stuff to doodle friday

[saltine-kakyoin]

🎶 + joseph, and also alexandra if you want? :0 if youre still doing these!

shannon, howdy! :D this is a challenging set- i really struggle with getting into joseph’s headspace (which... i don’t know why, i too am Stupide..), and i hardly ever listen to songs for alexandra! however, i will give it a Go!!

i am putting this one under a readmore- it turned out a lot longer than i thought it would!

Joseph:

the laughing song- so. this is an odd choice at first glance, and i feel i should explain the context. I sang this song at Stetson’s Choral University when i was wee sophomore and STRUGGLED with the rhythms and jumps. i vividly remember having a meltdown over my lunch at firehouse subs bc I couldn’t wrap my mind around it, and neither could my friend!! So it became a meme between us- whenever choir was kicking our ass we’d just sing the alto line maniacally. This, I feel, is BIG joseph energy. in an alternate universe, all the crusaders despair in the cave against The Sun except for joseph.. who slowly erupts into the laughing song... litch rally madness

people say- this is more of a somber song, and I think maybe a more introspective song for Joseph. I don’t think he ever fully shakes off the survivor’s guilt from Caesar’s death, and Sergio’s death is just. the second whammy you know. The Crusade is really important to Joseph because while yes, it’s a journey to get rid of the thing endangering his whole family, I think there’s also a small part of the journey that is like. atonement? for not being there for caesar or his son (that is also, spiritually, also somewhat caesar’s son..) in their final moments. I think this song is really reflective of that part of Joseph, that’s also haunted by ghosts. the “kill the voice inside your mind/ we don’t need no answers darling/ hold me close and we’ll be fine/ let’s pretend we never parted” section in particular makes me really emotional, thinking of him and Suzi being each other’s tether in the aftermath of both deaths... oUGH :”(

luminescence- it’s hard for me to explain why, but this song makes me think of joseph’s overarching journey with hamon and hermit purple, and the friendships he forged through both. it’s partially because of the lyrics, but also just because of the chords and dynamics? i have no idea how to explain this, but i really feel this is a softer joseph song. 

aiutami- sometimes i listen to shows and imagine AUs with them but never actually commit to the idea. the light in the piazza is one such show- i’ve been haunted by the ghost of a caejose au for it for MONTHS. Joseph is also just really reminiscent of Signora Nacarelli.. “without risk, there is no drama; without drama, there is no ‘aiutami’, without asking for help- no Love!!” just really reminds me of younger joseph’s wildly melodramatic ass explaining his schemes. also, “does father cheat on mother? she suspects....does father know that she suspects? He Suspects!” is like hghdhghs. in a world where the joseph cheating subplot is Not with a 20 year old college student but rather with his + suzi’s husband caesar and their wife suzi. like.. it coulda been great, if unrealistic :(

the beauty is (reprise)- of course, the context for this choice isn’t 100% 1 to 1 with the actual context of the song. BUT. imagine, “I reach... like these paintings in the old traditions. There’s a figure reaching out in them like them, and to me it is the most familiar tableau I know” with joseph.. it is the most familiar tableau he knows because he’s was reaching First for his best bud caesar, and then decades later for his son. like :powercry: the whole song is a REALLY sad joseph song, but we are just here to suffer. also..”So much wanting something, so much reaching for it, so much wishing just to have One Moment back.” + “I thought if I had a child, I would take such care of her!” AND “If I could, then I would paint it over. I would be there and I wouldn’t turn away....If I only had a chance to not turn away” all in the context of joseph regretting his final argument with caesar, him not visiting Holly once she moved to Japan, and him not checking in on Sergio who he KNEW had a deep debilitating fear of Dio... AUGHHHHH 3 Joseph is a jester, but he’s also a man of regrets and this dichotomy is really beautiful. it breaks my heart yo ; J ;

Alexandra:

gnothi safton-  this is the only song I’ve ever listened to exclusively for Alexandra! I struggled a lot with connecting the dots around her identity, and i remember galaxybraining it in the pitch black of my room at 1 w nothing but this song pushing me on.. Anyhow! this song ties into Alexandra’s fear of stagnation and her desire to explore beyond the palais garnier (which her siblings do NOT understand. they’re like bro we were mad fortunate to be born into this opera house bro.. why would you ever leave? :( and she’s like “it IS powerKNOWLEDGE is power”). She knows costuming is her calling, but there are so many outlets for that and opera costumes are but one niche. Her drive to explore and experiment other styles leads her to La Comédie Italienne, which is where she first encounters Camille and their whole story begins. /(\\\ ///)\

super trouper- Techies get burn-out too!! this song isn’t a 1 to 1 w the interpretation in my head, either, but it’s aight! The first interaction that ever passes between Camille and Alexandra is Camille frantically pouring praises onto Alexandra for her beautiful costume design after a show at LCI, and Alexandra being absolutely swept off of her feet because she’s never had an audience member seek her out to gush over her work! And then!! Camille keeps coming back to see and photograph Alexandra’s costumes! It’s deeply invigorating for Alexandra, and the root of their entire relationship. (also, mamma mia because that’s is Alexandra’s baby- first, it’s a greek musical! second, she works as a costumer and dresser for its debut in london, and then gets carted from tour to tour for it which is a DREAM come true.) 

defying gravity- THE cliche theater song...sometimes I think about this song when hammering out the dynamic between alexandra and her siblings and go :( there are no huge blow-outs at the palais that lead to alexandra leaving, she just Does it because it’s what is right for her. this baffles her siblings, who could never imagine leaving the opera house that nurtured them as they grew up. Alexandra has a lot of Elphaba’s determination and drive. the “I hope you’re happy” repetition specifically is :( because the Xydakis kids are super tight knit! They all know that Alexandra branching out and leaving the Palais means they’ll see her much less frequently, but Marika and Panayiotis also respect that it’s what Alexandra needs to do for her own sake.

all i ask of you- Alexandra grew up in the Palais Garnier, with a ballerina mother and a lighting design father. you Cannot tell me that her parents didn’t take them to see Phantom of the Opera at the West End. you cannot tell me alexandra didn’t dream of one day loving like raoul. You cannot tell me that she and Camille didn’t dance to this at their wedding. yeet yeet in the streets fella

sofia- this song has been THE camillexandra (are we outchea making our own ship names? mayhaps) song. is the character of the narrator synonymous to alexandra? not entirely. but ughh this is the Song i’ve always written about them to.