#glinda is YEARNING FOLKS

[frodispatch]

Glinda and Fiyero mirror each other.

They each say they’re prefect, and the other is perfect so they must be perfect together, when that’s simply an illusion, a facade put up by both, when in reality they’re both missing what the other one has. (would be better split up to find what they both respectively need. Like a Mike and Eleven in Stranger Things situation.)

Fiyero, i’m not the first to point out, is depressed. he needs not the love from another, he knows how to feel that and can easily, he needs to find out how to love himself.

Glinda is the opposite. She knows how to love herself, how to see herself as worthy, but she craves love from someone else, someone who can understand her. she calls out to this at the very beginning of the musical.

Fiyero doesn’t need Elphaba, and their relationship doesn’t really work or beyond the reading of easy romance. They don’t allow each other to grow, which both of them need to do to be happy, in my opinion.

Fiyero doesn’t need someone else, he needs to find himself and escape his spiral of consuming boredom and nothingness. (His purpose will be to reunite Oz, he’s the scarecrow! but that’s unimportant at the moment)

Glinda however needs Elphaba. she’s the only one who can see through her and who knows her. Elphie can love Glinda and Glinda will finally feel it.

None of their stories are done where the musical ends.

sorry this was ranty, gotta let free the feelings. Lesbians, am i right?

(Glinda and Fiyero only build upon their facades, and can never see each other, and Elphie and Fiyero pull each other back stuck in a relationship, not allowing each other to grow, where Glinda and Elphaba have “changed” each other, in the way that they both finally feel seen, and feel loved like neither has been able to feel before.) AAAH stop over analyzing and go to bed!

[letmetellyouaboutmyfeels]

in belated honor of valentine's day/palentine's day/singles appreciation day, i am challenging you with posting your top 10 musical theatre love duets.

Ooh boy, inch resting! I had to think about these! I realized as I was making this list that I am allergic to most love duets, and so I must thank @captainofthefallen and @extasiswings for helping me cobble this list together.

But here we are! In descending order, going from ten to c’est finale.

10. “I’ve Never Been in Love Before” from Guys and Dolls

There’s just something really... I don’t know. It’s a short and sweet song and I just feel there’s something about characters going oh shit oh fuck I’m in love is that what this is holy shit I have no idea what I’m doing I’ve never felt this before.

9. “You’re the One that I Want” from Grease

Okay you can all stop rolling your eyes now. THIS IS FUN TO SING OKAY? IT’S FUN! IT GETS EVERYONE SINGING ALONG! IT’S A SONG ABOUT EMBRACING YOUR LOVER’S AESTHETICS AND LIFESTYLE BUT ALSO HAVING THE SELF-RESPECT TO DEMAND THEY STEP UP AND BE THERE FOR YOU AND BE RESPONSIBLE! IT’S ABOUT COMING TOGETHER! LET ME HAVE THIS!

8. “What is this Feeling?” from Wicked

Is this a love duet? Depends on who you ask. I personally never saw anything queer in Elphaba and Glinda’s relationship - but as a young teen who identified a lot with Elphaba and also yearned for a true friendship, I can understand that while I was seeing the friendship I wanted, other young queer girls saw the “best friend who might’ve been more” relationship they had growing up. So it’s a matter of perspective. But whether you think Elphaba and Glinda loved each other romantically or platonically, THIS SONG IS THE ENEMIES-TO-LOVERS BANGER WE ALL NEED IN OUR LIVES.

7. “The Finale” from She Loves Me

Now, I know this is not a traditional love duet, but it’s the first actual happy duet we get from the two leads where they’re not at odds and they’re talking over each other with happiness and excitement and you the audience are grinning like an idiot because they finally figured it out and it ends in a desperate euphoric kiss and it’s the cutest most satisfying goddamn thing.

6. “Cover You” from RENT

RENT is, I think, one of those musicals that you really love as a teenager and you’re young and queer and angry, and then you get older and realize its flaws and continue to have a fondness for it more out of nostalgia than out of any actual value the show has. I’ve come to be really frustrated with the characters and story in RENT and I don’t think it holds up. Having said that, some of the songs still slap. Maybe it’s the fact that this song is sung by two queer people to one another, but I still really love it and I still get a li’l flutter in my heart when I hear I think they meant it, when they said you can’t buy love, but I know you can rent it, under lease, you are my love, on life, all my life.

5. “Take Me or Leave Me” from RENT

Yeah yeah yeah I know, it’s Maureen basically trying to convince Joanne that Maureen’s flirting with everyone and possibly cheating on Joanne (as she did with Mark, her previous partner) is fine and not a big deal, and that’s really not great, and Maureen is not exactly what I would call excellent bisexual rep. BUT THE SONG STILL FUCKING SLAPS OKAY. It’s a super fun song to sing and especially so if you have a partner you can have fun flirting with while you do it, and I really like the idea of two people who are so different still falling for each other but also having the self confidence to say hey, I’m a catch too, you’d better appreciate me.

Does this count as a love duet? I don’t know. I also don’t care. I’m not a romantic, folks.

4. “In a Crowd of Thousands” from Anastasia

Again, not sure if you could strictly call this a love duet because it’s not two people singing about their love for one another, it’s two people singing about a memory that they realize, two thirds of the way through, they actually share. But that’s also the moment they realize they’re in love with each other - and the moment they realize they can never be together. That ending bit when Dmitri drops to his knee and says “Your Highness” fucking kills my fragile heart every goddamn time. Fuck. Stab me, it would be kinder.

3. “As Long as You’re Mine” from Wicked

Anyone surprised I picked a love duet that happens during a sex scene? No? That’s what I thought. Look I’m not a very traditionally romantic person. And I legitimately kinda swoon over lyrics like borrow the moonlight until it is through and I’ll be right here holding you. There’s something desperate and defiant about this song, two lovers who know they’re working on borrowed time but also say fuck it they can’t take this night, and this feeling, from us.

2. “Something Good” from The Sound of Music

Perhaps I had a wicked childhood? Perhaps I had a miserable youth? Right from those opening lines I’m breathless. The only reason I’m not crying is because I’m too busy trying to remember how to breathe as Maria and the Captain sing in tender, quiet words about how surely, despite their self-perceived mistakes and flaws, they must have done something truly good in order to earn the love of the good, wonderful person in front of them. I don’t know there’s just something inherently beautiful about two people wildly in love with each other who are also completely baffled as to how the other person ended up choosing them. Nothing comes from nothing, nothing ever could, so somewhere in my youth or childhood, I must have done something good. Excuse me I need to go watch this again.

1. “This is Life” from Bandstand

FUCKING LEAVE ME HERE TO DIE DROWNING IN MY OWN EMOTIONS. NOBODY TOUCH ME NOBODY LOOK AT ME. I WILL NEVER NOT SCREAM OVER THIS SONG. FUCK. FUCK!!!!

[saveourtiredhearts]

This week’s Emerald city episode brought to you by apple product placement! *spoilers galore (but none for the iphone8)*

Woah, this episode started out hot and heavy. That first scene with Jack felt like the beginning of a torture scene. Speaking of Jack…

Ngl, slightly disappointed that he’s not Pumpkinhead (my yearn for Sawhorse will go unanswered). But he’s so strong! And brave! When he said Tip’s name over and over–that killed me.

i’m not sure if I like Jane or not, because she was kind of cruel to Jack, but i want to say she doesn’t know any better/can’t empathize with him. I’m not condoning her actions, I’m just not immediately condemning them.

Anyone getting a winter soldier vibe with the one flesh arm and the one metal/tin arm? Because I know I am.

Jack is so brave! In all his scenes, he’s trying his hardest to overcome this disability and work with this new prosthetic. It’s really a fascinating perspective of the Tin Man, as a disabled man, that I would love to see explored more thoroughly. How does the prosthetic inhibit Jack, help him, how does he feel about it in terms of how much of his body it’s replaced, etc.

some think baum’s inspiration for the Tin 

worried about his relationship and apparent debt to princess langwidere? i am too. see down below for more!

Meanwhile, Tip! My absolute fave!!!

The first thing Glinda’s white house reminded me of was the White City exhibit in the Chicago World Fair, where H.H. Holmes had his murder house. The White City is also supposedly where Baum got the inspiration for the Emerald City. (connections! don’t you love them?)

then i was struck by the radical religiousness of it all. I mean, Glinda standing on a balcony and saying “baptize her”? the girls as practically nuns? (btw, how does tip know that term? are there christians/nuns in oz?). The white as a symbol of purity, the bath as a symbol of rebirth (West in the bath–the corruption of the church, the tainting of religion, the irreligious side). Glinda is freaking me out. She’s like a weird magical scary priestess.

also, how did West create that illusion? magic? i thought that was banned…

“Nun or whore” BAM! YOU GO TIP! KILL ‘EM! I love this moment so much. What a comment on modern and historical views of a woman’s place in society! Tip is really calling out on the BS here. Also, that bath scene–seemed to me Tip is still uncomfortable with his new body. 

of course he wants magic! There’s always a third choice. Tip wants to return himself to his true body, that is his main goal. Magic gave it to him, magic can give it back. 

i hope they continue to treat this issue carefully and with respect. in my opinion, they seem to be doing well so far, but i don’t want to jinx it.

Dorothy and Lucas! And Sylvie? Who’s a…basilisk?

I’m saying basilisk because of her eyes, and the whole stone thing. Did anyone else see how her eyes immediately returned to normal when Dorothy said Lucas’ name? There’s a connection there, definitely. Especially considering her attachment to Lucas. I feel like the Alderman, and his daughter who’s pregnant, was somehow a parallel to Lucas and Sylvie. But I may just be overthinking it.

I’m super curious about Sylvie’s earplugs. She seems to especially sensitive to sound, which is why she wears them, but I’m also wondering if they have anything to do with the powers she has. They don’t seem to stop them, because she turns the two people into stone (unless that wasn’t her? doubtful. remember the eyes) but they can’t just be for blocking noise b/c she has sensitive ears.

also, i do not remember sylvie as a character in the oz books. but unless Terrifying Soldier who knows Lucas is the Soldier With the Green Whiskers, he’s not in the books either.

also i love sylvie. what a cutie. so many parallels to dorothy. where are sylvie’s parents? did that man and woman want her just for her powers? what was up with the sweet box? why did sylvie take one if she didn’t want to go with those people?

I know Lucas is the killer, whatever, whatever, but so far Dorothy has directly/indirectly killed three people. Lucas has only tried to viciously murder one, and that didn’t even work! (i might have counted wrong here, but I don’t think so)

i can’t believe dorothy tried to kill Terrifying Soldier! If i was Lucas, I would’ve been mad. He brushes it off, but the whole point of his journey so far has been to regain his memories, so that scene/line didn’t make a whole lot of sense.

i’m not terribly keen on jumping on the dorothy x lucas bandwagon, I want to see where it goes first. The ipod thing was super cute though. 

Terrifying soldier=not dead? but missing breastplate? i don’t believe that flimsy thing protected him from a bullet. Also, dorothy has shot the gun three times. idk how many bullets are left, but definitely fewer.

Lucas=Roan is the main takeaway here.

Princess langwidere! I love when we get connections to Oz books. i discussed Ozma of Oz in my last EC post, so take a look at that if you want some background. I mentioned langwidere by saying “Crazy princess who can change her heads and locks Dorothy up for a period of time!” which is definitely applicable now

but it’s not heads–it’s masks. Which she can exchange, leading me to believe this is more of a Phantom of the Opera disability than anything else. 

I’m very against the idea of Jack owing her a debt, or her owning him. he never asked for any of this–not to be saved, not the prosthetic, not to meet her. Free Jack! Let him return to Tip! I hope he gets out of it somehow.

in the book, dorothy is held captive by langwidere because she won’t give up her head to langwidere’s collection. She’s saved by her friends–the scarecrow, the tin man, glinda and the rest. Somehow, i don’t quite see that happening here…

The Wizard and Anna is a hella creepy relationship folks. She’s much younger than him–remember how he slept with her mother at East’s brothel? And hair=sexual empowerment in literary tropes–makes sense that Glinda’s girls, who are supposed to be virginal, keep theirs covered. But the wizard has now seen Anna’s…

also; like any other incredibly smart/clever person I know, Anna lacks all common sense. don’t touch shiny blue circles when you don’t know what they are!

The shiny blue circle looked like the magic that came out of West. I’m just saying…has magic been transferred to Anna?

Alderman and daughter–that whole ‘turning’ thing seemed sketchy. Especially with the guards surrounding the pregnant daughter. Plus, wasn’t Nimbo the place where supposedly Lucas killed a bunch of people and then his memory was taken away? Someone please refresh my memory.

witch dynamics…well, there wasn’t much to work with here

Glinda=nun, West=whore (in Tip’s own words). Sexually, they are opposites, In personality, they are opposites. Yet they don’t lie on opposite compass ends, and they are ‘sisters’. I don’t know where I’m going with this.

Glinda freaks me out. She is totally scary. I’m not sure I’m a fan of West's manipulation tactics either, but she’s a lot more upfront with it, at least.