#his weight and singing all the time when he's literally been on broadway SO MANY TIMES i mean a.ddams family / disaster / seussical...

[that-was-anticlimactic]

♪!!!

"oh, the thinks you can think / think and wonder and dream / far and wide as you dare / oh, the thinks you can think / when your thinks have run dry, in the blink on an eye / there's another think there"

oh, the thinks you can think - seussical

send me a ♪ and i'll put my music on shuffle and give you my favorite line from a song <3

[trickfootpike]

OKAYOKAYOKAY now that i've had a few nights to Ruminate here are way too many thoughts from 9/16's show -- fair warning that they aren't *super* coherent as a lot of this i just tried to loosely organize from dms i threw at folks night-of, but it is most of what i remember sticking out to me!

GENERAL THOUGHTS --

last saw the show in august of 2019 - back then i saw it up in the mezzanine, this time i was 7 rows back dead center in the middle of the orchestra. watching the show from the mezzanine feels like a god's eye view of the show while sitting up close in the orchestra is much more like being in the world of men, and how it hits in hadestown particularly is just nuts bc you really do feel like you're on the factory floor.

back in the London production i remember eva playing eurydice with more youth and hope to her, and when the show came to Broadway eurydice hardened. in a world with a pandemic eva seems to have actually shifted this back! Eurydice is still holding tightly onto Orpheus Knowing that the world is unlikely to be kind enough to let them have each other for long but she starts off less faithless than she used to, I suppose I would describe it? she's definitely played more open with others from the beginning rather than having it be something she has to really work towards!

WAIT FOR ME IS A TOTALLY DIFFERENT FEELING FROM THE ORCHESTRA THAN THE MEZZANINE AND NOT JUST THE LAMPS. the lamps really only swing out to over the first 2 rows, speaking very generously, anyway. what i remember being most impactful from last time was how the whole theater rumbled as the walls of the set split to reveal hadestown. what i couldn't see and afaik no boot's been able to pick up is the the set ALSO SPLITS AND STRETCHES OPEN AT THE TOP. that awning that covers the balcony lifts and the wall of hadestown is revealed to stretch floor to ceiling and it is just so much, so fucking much oh my god i could not stop hysterically blubbering to myself watching hadestown stretch open like it is absolutely here to devour you whole. it makes you feel the immensity of The Wall. I've linked ig videos of the set pre act 1 and post intermission to give like the best perspective on it i can and tried to film them so they were zoomed as closely as to what my eyes were seeing as I could, but here are also some pictures!

PRE ACT ONE

INTERMISSION

after our lady of the underground when eurydice comes back from hades' office and Persephone is finishing with her show, me being closer this time i was actually able to see amber's face during way down hadestown ii and flowers. and how she portrays seph's feelings re eurydice, it's like : genuine concern and watching over her when she first starts on the line, Quiet Seething and Jealous Rage as the fates' tattle "Hades put his hands on ya" that sticks for a While including the first half of flowers, but as soon as eurydice remembers the meadow her and Orpheus visited her heart just b r e a k s and you can see her wiping away tears. seph's just so caught in her own feelings of helplessness in hadestown. when hades tells her to stay out of him dealing with Orpheus all the fight just deflates out of her and the direct accusing look Orpheus gives her at the end of if it's true mixed with seeing his effect on the workers makes her physically rear back like she's gotten the fight slapped back into her

even with this audience who almost for sure has all seen ht before, there was still the loudest heartbroken gasp when orpheus turned. i know everyone calls this out but it still hit me hard that with a greater percentage of previous viewers in the audience it still hit us all like a fucking brick

and ofc. road to hell ii. it's a millions times more impactful than it already was what with the pandemic, making it through hard times and how they could be hard again but making the best of them even if it doesn't turn out well this time either. i was crying so hard last time but this time i was crying harder but also feeling like a huge weight was being like, very softly cradled in my chest to take some of the burden away

TOM'S HADES/HADES AND PERSEPHONE SPECIFIC THOUGHTS --

Tom's Hades whole tl;dr could be that Hades is a Performance. all those descriptions of him beign "jazzy" and "egodriven" are correct, but there is also this massive vibe he gives off that all his showmanship is there as a cover up for the very pessimistic man at the core of him. when him and persephone are getting along the jazziness is there for genuine playfulness with her, but apart from seph it is a purposeful exaggeration on hades' part to get Whatever it is that he wants. he is playing up aggression as king (see papers) and what he thinks as being suave (see hey little songbird) to maintain his throne and his marriage, and Epic III is the Destruction of that performance. Tom's Hades at the end of Epic III isn't trying to sell anyone anything, you just get to see the suddenly very scared and unsure heart of the man behind the performance of foreman and king. And oh boy is Tom's Hades at his heart unsure. He is so fucking pessimistic; back in Act 1 when Orpheus starts to sing Epic I he turns from Persephone even before she gets reminded of the world above and starts longing for it, because he already expects to see it coming and he doesn't turn back to her Ever Again, literally until he comes to get her in Way Down Hadestown. Not even when she gives him a kiss on the cheek goodbye. His Kiss, The Riot is him trying to figure out how the hell he's gonna be able to rebuild his performance after his whole kingdom saw through it, but he also ends it being so very certain that the deal he figures out for Orpheus Will end with Orpheus failing somehow. There is no doubt in this very pessimistic Hades that doubt will come in, whereas Patrick used the end of His Kiss The Riot almost like he was desperately trying to justify that his doubt came to him only in Persephone's absence

road to hell i: tom's hades loves cheering on the band so much he is Part Of The Problem that Hermes has to get to chill out and it makes so much sense for this jazzy dramatic motherfucker

balcony time (road to hell i until livin' it up on top): when they were upstairs playing dominoes they kept laying their tiles with these overexaggerated movements.. Like when they actually getting along they are so damn flirty and trying so hard to make each other smile and laugh and it is TOO CUTE

way down hadestown: Once Again "I missed ya" gives me no rest, mostly because Tom delivered it with this super coy and cocky grin and Amber immediately smiled back at him like Persephone couldn't help herself

chant i: is spent with him looking up proud into his creation while persephone is looking down with heartbreak and disgust seeing the workers as people in suffering and the ugliness of hadestown. as the song goes on he gets increasingly frustrated like a child who's super proud of the drawing he brought home from school that Persephone has nothing but terrible things to say about. when eurydice starts singing about her suffering seph throws out her arm and points to her like "see! See what you're doing!!" while hades is more in himself processing his disappointment, frustration, heartbreak, but over the next minute you start to see him Formulating A Plan as he watches eurydice. but he doesn't look entirely sold on going through with it until seph throws out her last verse in disgust. it was absolutely the straw that broke the camel's back.

hey little songbird: THO IT SOUNDS SO SEDUCTIVE ON AUDIO. OML DOES IT LEAN INTO EURYDICE'S "STRANGE MAN" DESCRIPTOR. HADES IS LIKE THE CREEPY SALESMAN ON THE CORNER WITH WATCHES AND A TRENCHCOAT. BUT HE'S SELLING HIS SHIT WELL, HE'S JUST ALSO A WEIRDO

Why We Build The Wall/"Behind Closed Doors": That followup on hades' threat when eurydice arrives in hadestown. as hades goes to the stairs he like not whacks, but definitely nudges seph's arm harder than Patrick does to get her attention. when he did she Startled and laid her hand over her arm where he'd tapped her like she was overwhelmed by just that touch........ but then she turns around and watches him take Eurydice up and when he opens his coat and she Realizes you see her whole body go slack. once eurydice goes past the office doors hades turns and lingers staring pointedly down at seph, for *seconds* whereas with patrick i remember it being more of a pointed glance. it drills home that hades is doing this specifically to spite seph and he wants her to know it. and you can see amber discreetly wipe her face before she turns back to "does anybody want a DRINK." there's less direct seduction between hades and eurydice but more explicit threat between hades and seph about eurydice

papers: actually isn't too much Bastärde as it is his Performance. HOWEVER, the way he directs the workers to beat Orpheus is chilling. Like patrick he hangs around, but he's watching until the last 10 seconds so it's way longer. And he makes like the smallest gestures with his hand to direct the workers to the different stages of beating Orpheus, fuck it was twisted

how long: how long actually starts with seph and hades seemingly coming to each other on a similar page - hades came out pensively fiddling with his wedding ring and Amber delivered "I know" like seph was already past the eurydice situation. this also could have been a product of time and seeing how actually little he did "seducing" eurydice lmao

chant ii: very much Hades Sees Orpheus As A Threat™️ (more on this further below) , also dare i say it but tom kills I CONDUCT THE ELECTRIC CITY

epic iii: oh man oh man. he looks so untouched until Orpheus starts the lalas and he goes from completely passive unimpressed face to like. his body unfolds on his stool and his hands go slack and he looked between Orpheus and Persephone when he asked where Orpheus had gotten his melody. he asked it a lot softer than I expected him too as well. a big part of the audience actually laughed when Hades sang his lala because Tom cracks his voice during it but it petered off into sniffling when they realized why and then we were all just crying together as persephone placed the flower in his vest.

lovers desire: SOME VERY CUTE STUFF. hades' performance is broken but tom's hades is still a Jazzy Jazzy Man at heart and they're like 100 times more playful with each other - they're both giggling and grinning their asses off while they dance together and give each other these like nudges to the next series of steps and it was adorable and I was discretely sobbing. they both played it like they knew how to do this dance with each other better than they knew anything, the little nudges were like..... them playing inside this dance they already knew so well? Like more overexaggeration to make each other laugh and just revel in this wonderful thing they've rediscovered- specifically I remember that Amber raised her skirt soooooo high when she was doing the curtsey and Tom was like waggling his eyebrows at her and adding extra flourishes with his hands and widening his eyes super big everytime he pulled off a move (the funniest ones were when they do like the two-step where they move one after another in sequence and he's copying her moves in reverse and oml it was just adorable). When Seph had the move where she pulls their linked arms over his head to tuck him into her I remember that was the one part where he wasn't doing this goofy act but his expression straight up melted and he looked so smitten. and when it's the last bit of the dance and he spins her across the stage, seph's face breaks open with tears his expression responds with like this mix of heartbreak and "ohhhhh no baby please don't cry" as he moved across the stage to quickly take her into his arms for the dip at the end

AFTER this when orphydice has finished promises and right before Orpheus turns to ask Hades if they can go, they come out of slow dancing to the side but are still super wrapped up in each other - seph wraps herself around one of his arms and presses herself super close and Tom leaned down with this little smile like Hades was gonna try and steal a quick kiss, but then he hears/sees out of the corner of his eye/senses or something Orpheus approaching and pulls himself up and formal to be the king. When he says I don't know and seph wrenches herself away from him to the other side of the stage to firmly stand behind Orphydice he gets this look of Extreme Frustration on that she's still not standing with him and these damn kids are still more important, bc even with character growth he still is a petty selfish bitch who does not like to share lmao, he's just getting that he Has To now

wait for me ii: Hades stays onstage by the microphone stand to the left to watch Hermes deliver his judgement to orphydice/seph/the workers and watching Tom during this was a Treat. this is the first time he's seeing how orphydice and esp Orpheus function when he's not involved to terrify them. they're so sweet and so good, and they have what looks like so much unwavering faith in each other unlike him and seph, maybe they really could... so when he delivers "i let them try" that last word is stretched with so much wonder. he's getting this first glimpse into feeling how everyone else felt when orpheus sang of how the world could be that isn't just focused in about how he feels about persephone, which always drives him - now he's having to deal with the Greater Implications and orpheus' seemingly unbreakable faith in a better world rocks him to his core. that certainty that orpheus would fail gets shaken as he watches them and when Seph asks him if he thinks they'll make it, his I Don't Know is 1/2 defensive and 1/2 actual uncertainty. he still hates to be wrong but he's wondering if his beliefs about doubt will turn out differently this time. he isn't optimistic about it by any means but orpheus, eurydice, and the workers' response to them both does give him pause

meanwhile in hades and persephone's section, on a personal level they deliver their lines to each other like they're a great deal more nervous about what next fall will bring than i've seen and heard before - something I'm thinking stems from hades' worldview being so suddenly shaken and seph too being a little more vulnerable?

MISC THOUGHTS

Tom seems to be leaning into Hades not having done anything with Eurydice other than tempt her down - once she's in Hadestown even during Why We Build The Wall he drops the salesman croon entirely and when he does rarely speak to her/about her it's commanding as a king who sees her just as another object under his possession, with very little interest in her for anything at all beyond that. he was just going after the goal of making sure Seph knew he had Options whether or not he actually pursued them

tom is super dedicated to how power-hungry hades is. I remember when I saw Patrick during chant ii he was playing hades as more affected by how much seph seemed to care about the workers now and desperately trying to get her attention back (even negatively), Tom was more consumed in seeing Orpheus as a threat because of how effectively he had turned his "children" on him. He knocks Seph down in those "shackle her from wrist to wrist" less as a personal petty attack to her like Patrick does and more like to try and destabilize her as someone backing Orpheus up. Tom's Hades perceives Orpheus as a Threat no matter how much he plays up his Performance as Nonchalant Jazzy King. he really emphasizes Hades' relationship to Orpheus whereas Patrick played more into his relationship with Eurydice, which makes so much sense what with Tom's Hades being a pettier more egotistical messy bitch obsessed with his kingdom and Patrick's Hades' obsession being his wife and Hadestown being like, this side-effect of being a god that he just couldn't help, he Had to build and strive for power whereas Tom's Hades reveled in it and wanted it. Instinct versus drive I guess. one of my buds put it super well as: "Patrick!Hades sees everything as a threat to his power Tom!Hades is so certain of his power that he can afford to be somewhat nonchalant but the fact that Orpheus alone is his main genuine threat is fucking brilliant"

and ok for now, that's what I've got! if anyone wants any clarification or wants to ask details about specific moments I didn't put in here feel free to shoot me an ask!

[hexalt]

CW for discussion of suicide

- She's the crazy ex-girlfriend - What? No, I'm not. - She's the crazy ex-girlfriend - That's a sexist term! - She's the crazy ex-girlfriend - Can you guys stop singing for just a second? - She's so broken insiiiiiide! - The situation's a lot more nuanced than that!

There’s the essay! You get it now. JK.

Crazy Ex-Girlfriend is the culmination of Rachel Bloom’s YouTube channel (and the song “Fuck Me, Ray Bradbury” in particular where she combined her lifelong obsession with musical theatre and sketch comedy and Aline Brosh McKenna stumbling onto Bloom’s channel one night while having an idea for a television show that subverted the tropes in scripts she’d been writing like The Devil Wears Prada and 27 Dresses.

The show begins with a flashback to teenage Rebecca Bunch (played by Bloom) at summer camp performing in South Pacific. She leaves summer camp gushing about the performance, holding hands with the guy she spent all summer with, Josh Chan. He says it was fun for the time, but it’s time to get back to real life. We flash forward to the present in New York, Rebecca’s world muted in greys and blues with clothing as conservative as her hair.

She’s become a top tier lawyer, a career that she doesn’t enjoy but was pushed into by her overprotective, controlling mother. She’s just found out she’s being promoted to junior partner, and that’s just objectively, on paper fantastic, right?! ...So why isn’t she happy? She goes out onto the streets in the midst of a panic attack, spilling her pills all over the ground, and suddenly sees an ad for butter asking, “When was the last time you were truly happy?” A literal arrow and beam of sunlight then point to none other than Josh Chan. She strikes up a conversation with him where he tells her he’s been trying to make it in New York but doesn’t like it, so he’s moving back to his hometown, West Covina, California, where everyone is just...happy.

The word echoes in her mind, and she absorbs it like a pill. She decides to break free of the hold others have had over her life and turns down the promotion of her mother’s dreams. I didn’t realize the show was a musical when I started it, and it’s at this point that Rebecca is breaking out into its first song, “West Covina”. It’s a parody of the extravagant, classic Broadway numbers filled with a children’s marching band whose funding gets cut, locals joining Rebecca in synchronized song and dance, and finishing with her being lifted into the sky while sitting on a giant pretzel. This was the moment I realized there was something special here.

With this introduction, the stage has been set for the premise of the show. Each season was planned with an overall theme. Season one is all about denial, season two is about being obsessed with love and losing yourself in it, season three is about the spiral and hitting rock bottom, and season four is about renewal and starting from scratch. You can see this from how the theme songs change every year, each being the musical thesis for that season.

We start the show with a bunch of cliché characters: the crazy ex-girlfriend; her quirky sidekick; the hot love interest; his bitchy girlfriend; and his sarcastic best friend who’s clearly a much better match for the heroine. The magic of Crazy Ex-Girlfriend is that no one in West Covina is the sum of their tropes. As Rachel says herself, “People aren’t badly written, people are made of specificities.”

The show is revolutionary for the authenticity with which it explores various topics but for the sake of this piece, we’ll discuss mental health, gender, Jewish identity, and sexuality. All topics that Bloom has dug into in her previous works but none better than here.

Simply from the title, many may be put off, but this is a story that has always been about deconstructing stereotypes. Rather than being called The Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, where the story would be from an outsider’s perspective, this story is from that woman’s point of view because the point isn’t to demonize Rebecca, it’s to understand her. Even if you hate her for all the awful things she’s doing.

The musical numbers are shown to be in Rebecca’s imagination, and she tells us they’re how she processes the world, but as she starts healing in the final season, she isn’t the lead singer so often anymore and other characters get to have their own problems and starring roles. When she does have a song, it’s because she’s backsliding into her former patterns.

While a lot of media will have characters that seem to have some sort of vague disorder, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend goes a step further and actually diagnoses Rebecca with Borderline Personality Disorder, while giving her an earnest, soaring anthem. She’s excited and relieved to finally have words for what’s plagued her whole life.

When diagnosing Rebecca, the show’s team consulted with doctors and psychiatrists to give her a proper diagnosis that ended up resonating with many who share it. BPD is a demonized and misunderstood disorder, and I’ve heard that for many, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend is the first honest and kind depiction they’ve seen of it in media. Where the taboo of mental illness often leads people to not get any help, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend says there is freedom and healing in identifying and sharing these parts of yourself with others.

Media often uses suicide for comedy or romanticizes it, but Crazy Ex-Girlfriend explored what’s going through someone’s mind to reach that bottomless pit. Its climactic episode is written by Jack Dolgen (Bloom’s long-time musical collaborator, co-songwriter and writer for the show) who’s dealt with suicidal ideation. Many misunderstood suicide as the person simply wanting to die for no reason, but Rebecca tells her best friend, “I didn’t even want to die. I just wanted the pain to stop. It’s like I was out of stories to tell myself that things would be okay.”

Bloom has never shied away from heavy topics. The show discusses in song the horrors of what women do to their bodies and self-esteem to conform to beauty standards, the contradiction of girl power songs that tell you to “Put Yourself First” but make sure you look good for men while doing it, and the importance of women bonding over how terrible straight men are are near and dear to her heart. This is a show that centers marginalized women, pokes fun at the misogyny they go through, and ultimately tells us the love story we thought was going to happen wasn’t between a woman and some guy but between her and her best friend.

I probably haven’t watched enough Jewish TV or film, but to me, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend is the most unapologetic and relatable Jewish portrayal I’ve seen overall. From Rebecca’s relationship with her toxic, controlling mother (if anyone ever wants to know what my mother’s like, I send them “Where’s the Bathroom”) to Patti Lupone’s Rabbi Shari answering a Rebecca that doesn’t believe in God, “Always questioning! That is the true spirit of the Jewish people,” the Jewish voices behind the show are clear.

Crazy Ex-Girlfriend continues to challenge our perceptions when a middle-aged man with an ex-wife and daughter realizes he’s bisexual and comes out in a Huey Lewis saxophone reverie. The hyper-feminine mean girl breaks up with her boyfriend and realizes the reason she was so obsessed with getting him to commit to her is the same reason she’s so scared to have female friends. She was suffering under the weight of compulsory heterosexuality, but thanks to Rebecca, she eventually finds love and friendship with women.

This thread is woven throughout the show. Many of the characters tell Rebecca when she’s at her lowest of how their lives would’ve never changed for the better if it wasn’t for her. She was a tornado that blew through West Covina, but instead of leaving destruction in her wake, she blew apart their façades, forcing true introspection into what made them happy too.

Rebecca’s story is that of a woman who felt hopeless, who felt no love or happiness in her life, when that’s all she’s ever wanted. She tried desperately to fill that void through validation from her parents and random men, things romantic comedies had taught her matter most but came up empty. She tried on a multitude of identities through the musical numbers in her mind, seeing herself as the hero and villain of the story, and eventually realized she’s neither because life doesn’t make narrative sense.

It takes her a long time but eventually she sees that all the things she thought would solve her problems can’t actually bring her happiness. What does is the real family she finds in West Covina, the town she moved to on a whim, and finally having agency over herself to use her own voice and tell her story through music.

The first words spoken by Rebecca are, “When I sang my solo, I felt, like, a really palpable connection with the audience.” Her last words are, “This is a song I wrote.” This connection with the audience that brought her such joy is something she finally gets when she gets to perform her story not to us, the TV audience, but to her loved ones in West Covina. Rebecca (and Rachel) always felt like an outcast, West Covina (and creating the show) showed her how cathartic it is to find others who understand you.

Crazy Ex-Girlfriend is the prologue to Rebecca’s life and the radical story of someone getting better. She didn’t need to change her entire being to find acceptance and happiness, she needed to embrace herself and accept love and help from others who truly cared for her. Community is what she always needed and community is what ultimately saved her.

*

P.S. If you have Spotify... I also process life through music, so I made some playlists related to the show because what better way to express my deep affection for it than through song?

CXG parodies, references, and is inspired by a lot of music from all kinds of genres, musicals, and musicians. Same goes for the videos themselves. I gathered all of them into one giant playlist along with the show’s songs.

A Rebecca Bunch mix that goes through her character arc from season 1 to 4.

I’m shamelessly a fan of Greg x Rebecca, so this is a mega mix of themselves and their relationship throughout the show.

*

I’m in a TV group where we wrote essays on our favorite shows of the 2010s, so here is mine on Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, I realized I forgot to ever post it. Also wrote one for Schitt’s Creek.

[finleyjayne]

Break A Leg

 {Chapter 1: Auditions}

Summary: After your accident, everything in your life changed. Your shared dream of being on Broadway with your best friend, Amanda, was over. But just because YOU don’t think you want the same things in life doesn’t mean that your friend won’t see through you. Taking matters into her own hands, you end up at an audition you’re sure that you’ll fail since SHIELD Theater Company is known the world over for typecasting. And you don’t fit any of your typical actress types. Little do you know that the company’s new writer - nihilistic, pessimistic, and resident drunk; Bucky Barnes- is looking for someone out of their normal choices.

Characters: Female Reader, OFC Best Friend, Steve Rogers, Tony Stark, Bucky Barnes, and all your other favorite Marvel Characters, hopefully in the long run it will end with a Bucky Barnes/Reader ship.

Series Warnings: Guys, this is based on my own experiences within the Acting community after gaining weight and height after an accident. There will be fat-shaming, mentions of eating disorders, unhealthy expectations, unhealthy coping mechanisms, also like bias based on looks.

A/N:this originally was inspired by @star-spangled-man-with-a-plan​ s follower celebration challenge. I was given the opportunity to use the text prompt “No fucks given, Next please.” Thank you Star! Thank you Thank you. Also a big thanks to the lovely @cavillanche​ for giving me a gentle nudge to write for myself and for being an amazing sounding board.

"Come oooooon, Y/N. I don't care if you don't want to go out. I haven't seen you in what feels like literal months. That's saying something since you know we LIVE together. I won't take no as an answer." Your best friend, Amanda, said as she flopped on top of you. 

Amanda burst into your bedroom this morning at way-to-fucking-early o'clock in the morning, on a warpath to get you to come out with her. It didn't matter to her that you were finally getting some sleep after working all-nighters for the last week. There was no way to ignore her either, her sunny personality and eager persistence would cause you to roll over in your grave if she wanted you to.

With a groan, you smothered your complaints behind a gasping wheeze. "Kay, Manda, where are we going?"

 She rolled off of you with a high-pitched squeal and used the momentum to pull you out of bed. "Yay! I have so much planned. I was talking to my manager about how well we used to work as a pair on stage. I may have mentioned how much I would kill to be the Penny to your Tracy. Or the Meg to your Christine. The Judy to your Betty. The Glinda to your Elphaba." Her words started to fade into background noise as she milled on about the parts you had once wanted to play together.

  The dream used to be that you both would move here, to New York, and play in all of the big theaters on Broadway together. Sadly, your broadway dreams were not as much of a reality as Amanda's were. And you were okay with that. You were thrilled for Amanda. Living vicariously through your best friend, helping her prepare for her shows while working as a Math tutor and Accountant for a local firm. 

   It didn't help that you weren't necessarily what people consider the typical standard of beauty. Standing just under six feet tall, a little plushy about the middle, and some nasty scar tissue leaving one of your legs in a constant state of ghostly paleness. Not that people notice since you tend to find yourself just as pale as the damaged tissue. After so many failed auditions, you figured your best life was lived outside of the theater. You were happy, and honestly, you are kinda glad that you are where you are.  

 "....So hurry up, I'll pick your outfit, we have an appointment with Rijah in half an hour." Amanda finished pushing you into the little cubical shower. When did she turn it on? Where are we going? Needless to say, you did what she asked and stuffed down your confusion, focusing on waking up more before you accompanied her to yet another one of her 'private' lessons with your pianist friend.

Thirty minutes later, you were dressed, primped, polished, and not all that much more awake. Amanda stuffed a binder of music into your hand as Elijah spread his copy over the lip of his pristinely kept upright. "You know this song, I think it will be perfect. A little overplayed, but with a fresh interpretation, they'll overlook it. All you have to do is sing. They are bound to cast you. I've worked with them before, and Director Rogers values skill over appearances. So we'll show them your ability, and he'll love you."

Looking at your rambling best friend, Your confusion amplifies. Your jaw cracks as you don't even try to stifle another yawn. You rub your eyes, not questioning her pushiness. "Uuuuhhhhh, okay?" You scan through the score, making note of the cut before looking to the triangular-shaped man sitting on the piano bench. Since you had already been taken through the typical vocal warm-ups by Amanda while she played dress up this morning. You smile at your expectant friend/accompanist. "Will you give me a playthrough with the melody line in it as a refresher, please, Rijah, Repeat, and I'll join you?" 

"Of course," He said sweetly with a nod, turning to the keys and playing. Quietly you hummed along, mentally noting which registers each phrase should be sung in. Where the notes would be stretched, what you would use to your advantage. The accompaniment was simple, repeated strummed chords like most modern musical use. It gives freedom rhythmically when it comes to melodies. You could have fun with the piece. Smiling to yourself, you open your mouth and join the simplified accompaniment on the repeat. 

When the second run-through finishes with a very extravagant arpeggiation. There is a moment of complete stillness as the resonance leaves the space. You are high on the feelings of intense emotion and absolute peace, yet somehow buzzing with unlocked energy. You miss this feeling, of connection with everything and nothing, The feeling of knowing that you did something right, it's heady, and it drives you to ask yourself why you ever stopped performing for a brief second. Amanda was always saying that she would drag you to an audition one of these days if you didn't get over yourself.

 You are knocked out of your musical high by Amanda's enthusiastic clapping. Elijah looks at you with a smirk, opens his mouth, and is swiftly cut off by your friend. "God, Y/N. They won't be able to stop themselves as soon as you open your mouth!" You smile at her very biased opinions. Before she can get any crazy ideas like dragging me along to more than just her sessions with Elijah, you place the binder the music into her hands, "Why don't we go over Take me or leave me? After all, this is your rehearsal time, I'm just here to help you."

Amanda gives you a devious smirk as she nods. "Sure. You heard the woman, 'Rijah." She sends him a sly wink that you are too tired to really read much into. He just nods with a conspiratory smile and spreads the music for the RENT song over the previous. 

"Whenever you are ready, ladies," He says when he's ready. Sighing internally, you place yourself back into your 'supportive friend' role, playing out the simplified blocking of Amanda's latest show. 

Before you even fully realize it, your hour with 'Rijah was over, and Amanda was pulling you into a nearby taxi to your next destination. "If you don't let me at least have a coffee, I will not be held accountable for my actions, Woman." You warn your best friend as you eye her. You were starting to worry that you would need to be more awake for whatever plans she had for the rest of the day, You were now to the point where you could see her scheming something, but were still too out of it to figure out what it was. 

She looked at you, trying to hide behind her mask of sickeningly-sweet innocence. I knew this look and all that it implied, and it worked to shake me into a slight panic of what she was walking me into. "I don't know what you mean, Y/N. I told you where we were going this morning, I promise this is the last stop before we can go home and you can sleep the rest of the night away. But if things go as I hope, we may have a repeat of this occasion sooner rather than later." The taxi pulls up at a building with a line heading out the door and around the corner. 

That's when it hits you; That promise that Amanda had made to you all those months ago about dragging you to an audition wasn't just one of those 'get moving your ass, or I'll move it for you' speeches to get you out of bed, she was going to do it. No, she wasn't going to do anything. Amanda had already done it. She had gotten you into an audition. 

You were suddenly wide awake. The knowledge that you were at an NYC Broadway audition, with your best friend hitting you like Celie's babies being alive in The Color Purple. It is unexpected but brought with it such excitement and fear all at once. You grasped onto Amanda's arm. "Amanda Jenivive Brendon, if this is some kind of joke, I don't know if I can forgive you. Please say this is not some kind of joke." The words are a desperate snarl. The hope pressing against your chest mixed with the fear that you jumped to incorrect conclusions was absolutely unbearable.

Amanda lets out a loving laugh before playfully scowling at you. "You really haven't been listening to a single thing I've said to you all day, have you?" The accusation was slightly bitter, but you knew she was laughing on the inside.

You squeeze her arm as your panic escalates. What am I going to do? How am I going to do this? What if they don't accept me just because of how I look? Shit, what am I going to do about a resume? Your vision blurs as you watch your best friend take your hand, leading you into the building past the line of girls and down a hallway to a dance studio styled room. 

She leads you to a table set before the long wall of mirrors where a cute little redhead sits. Taking out a binder and handing her two sets of papers, "Hey Wanda, It's good to see you. Is it standard issue today?" 

With a bright smile, Wanda accepts the papers. "Sure is Amanda, Do you need a copy of the company notes, or do you still know them by heart?" 

 Amanda chuckles before shaking her head, "I don't need a set, but you probably should give one to Y/N here, She could use the distraction of going through all the legal jargon while we wait."

Wanda's eyes grew wide as she turned to face you. "Y/N? As in 'shower singer Y/N'? Oh my Atlanta, Buck is going to lose his shit!" She jumps up and claps her hands. "I gotta go tell them!"  

Amanda's hand snaps out to stop the woman from leaving. "Hey, none of that. I want to see their surprise when they hear her, especially after Tony's last casting rant."  

Wanda immediately calms, her face splitting into a devious smirk. "OOOOooo, you are evil. I love it. Want me to film it for you?"

 "It's like you read my mind," Amanda says, turning to see your expression of confusion. "Y/N, hey, Y/N/N? You in there?" She snaps her fingers lightly in your face. "Come on, girl. Wanda here is the Stage Manager for the SHIELD Theater Company."  

"Wait, what?" Your voice cracks as your heart hammers even harder into your ribs. SHIELD Theater Company was one of the prominent troupes in New York. They were world-famous, they were the equivalent to The Royal Shakespeare Company in America. Were you at an audition for them? I thought you had to be part of a Union to even be considered for an audition with them!  

"Really, Y/N? Still not paying attention? Come on, let's take a seat, stretch a bit. before they put us through our paces." Her eyes are bright with amusement as she sticks your number on the left side of your dress.

"I'm sorry? In my defense, I have had a total of 8 hours of sleep in the last week. So not the point, though!" You follow her to a set of chairs in the room. At her reproachful glare, when your voice breaches into a louder panicked screech, you take a few breaths before continuing in a harried whisper. " I mean, how am I even here? I am not Unionized, I haven't paid my dues for months! I don't have-" Your internal concerns continue to pour out of your mouth as Amanda slams her palm over your mouth. 

 "Hey, take a deep breath for me, Y/N. I need you to stay conscious... maybe I should have gotten you a coffee before we came, but you always complain that it makes your vocals all gummy." You rip her hand off of your mouth, eyes flashing with annoyance.

"Hey, you're the one who woke me from my first decent sleep this week, you can't really blame me for being a little lack-of-sleep drunk. And Coffee does make me phlegmy, but, again, that is not the point. The point is now that I know what you've set up, how can it be possible?" You whisper scream at the aggravatingly calm Amanda.

 She rolled her eyes, "Well, I told you I was going to make our dreams come true, and I have had enough of your lame excuses about how you don't want to get back on the horse. But I saw you today. You WANT to be here. I've seen your secret tears when you go over our old cast photos. I hear you belting in the shower, so I've taken it upon myself to continue paying your dues to the AEA, and cashed in a favor with my agent to sign both of us up for this particular call."

 Before you could make a rebuttal, seven people walked into the room that had slowly filled with fifty or so women while you were distracted. A short brunette plants himself in the center of the mirrored wall as the others take seats next to Wanda behind the white foldable table.

 "Welcome, ladies, It is inspiring to see all of your beautiful faces. Before we start, I wanted to say a few words. First, thank you for taking the time to come and audition with us today.

"As you know, we only hold one set of auditions for the full season and look at that, all of you have made the initial cut for this season. Now it's time for the fine-tuning. Just know that even if you don't make it into our troupe this year, it's nothing personal. We have a specific set of personalities and abilities that we are looking for. If you don't make it this year with us, don't be afraid to come back next season. 

"Now, to kick off this lovely party, let's have you line up, no particular order." The man smirks, and you gasp as you realize who the cocky man is: Tony Stark. You were being lined up for your first NYC cattle call by the eccentric, theatrical genius Tony Stark. You didn't know whether to be honored or terrified. He had a notorious reputation as a type-caster, and the only type he favored was the short, petite woman. FUCK. 

Amanda dragged you into the line as she plastered a knowing smile on her face, "Just remember, sing. if you open your mouth, let that beautiful song sing from your heart." 

"Sure, whatever you say," you reply to her whispered reassurances, holding your head up high as the legendary man started down the line."No, No, Yes, Yes, Yes, Sorry, Sure, Yes. Not this time, sweets. No, Sorry, Yes, Yes, Yes... " And so on until he reached Amanda. "Miss Brandon, nice to see you again. I look forward to hearing your choices today." 

"Same to you, Mr. Stark, and I look forward to showing you my progress from last year."

"Good, good" His eyes crinkled as he smiled at her for another few seconds before skipping over you entirely, "yes, yes, yes, No…"

Well, it looks like you made it through the first cut, Amanda drags you back to where you left your purse and Amanda's backpack. She shares a conspiratory glance with Wanda, who just rolls her eyes. "Take a deep breath, then they'll start pulling us up in small groups to rotate through our song choices."

 "Amanda, I'm pretty sure you voodooed Stark into overlooking me." Amanda just laughs.

"Sure, whatever you wanna tell yourself. I think it was just you being here, it's fate." Now it's your turn to roll your eyes at your friend's everlasting optimism.

Once Stark finishes going down the line, he takes his place back front and center. "Okay, ladies, now it's time for the fun bit. I'm sure you were all smart cookies and gave Wanda your music cuts along with your resumes, so now it's time to put those voices to work. We'll call you up in trios. Wanda will read out your name and call number, Thor will wait for you to count out a tempo before playing for you. Wanda?" Stark calls out the woman before taking his seat behind the table. 

Wanda smiles brightly, calling out the first three people as the Hulking blond man stands from the table and makes his way to the piano. Wow, I hope I don't mess this up. It's not just my ass on the line anymore. You are brought back out of your thoughts by a gentle tug on your arm. 

"Stop overthinking things, you'll do fine, Your resume is prime, your song choice is brilliant, and like they couldn't choose someone more theatre conscious if they had hired Idina Menzel." 

You shudder at the actress's name, "I would hope so, she's terrible."

"Yet she had been a mainstay in theater for years." 

"So what, just goes to show people don't necessarily want talent. They want beautiful mutants who can screech out songs without killing their vocal cords."

"Y/N, Shut the fuck up. You can do the same things, you may not sing in a scream like she can, but you know how to sing, you can dance- don't give me that look I caught you practicing your fouettes last week- and more importantly, you can connect. You connect in everything, you have so much to offer, and I know that once these people hear you, they will hire you. I know it."

You sigh, you weren't sure that everything she was saying was true, but you knew that she believed the words with all of her heart and didn't want to be the reason her hope died. So you just sighed in resignation before turning to the group that was in the midst of their auditions. They were outstanding, and the longer you went on, the more self-conscious of your own lack of preparation. Subconsciously you reached out to grab Amanda's hand and ended up clutching onto her dress front.  

"Amanda, Amanda, I don't deserve to be here." Your hushed whisper, dragging harsh against your throat. Your chest tightening, your panic acting as a hangman's noose. "Amanda, I don't know what I'm singing. Amanda, what is it from? What is the song's name? How will I slate if I don't even know the name of the song? Wait, what is MY name? " Your breath started to tear through your lungs, your sinuses stung with oncoming tears. 

"Y/N, take a breath, let go before you give everyone an unexpected flash." Amanda's whispered reply was almost biting in its directness. Even if you consciously didn't hear the words, her tone cut the noose from your neck. Your lungs immediately expanded with much-needed air, your fingers loosening their grip to let her replace the fabric with her own firm grip. "Good girl, now, Y/N, what is your name?"

"Uhhhhhh…" Even if you were calming down, your brain was still coming back to grips.

"The next three are as follows: Y/N Y/L/N, Amanda Brendon, and Savannah Moffat." Wanda's lyric call cut through the silence that had filled the studio while you were trying to remember your name. 

You stood automatically, all your years of auditioning kicked you into performance autopilot. Your shoulders take their place slightly back, head high, chest on display, the skirt of your dress flowing around your thighs as if they were the mist rolling over the valley at dawn. Your face hid the horror that was filling your mind, it didn't matter that you didn't remember the name of your song, you were Y/N Y/L/N. You could fake it till you make it to perfection. Amanda was right, all you have to do is sing, and they will see you. It doesn't matter if you don't look like you used to, you are still capable, and even if you don't make it, you can't say that you didn't try. Just remember what Doctor Ellis said, 'every audition is a performance, even if they don't choose you, you were able to perform.' You can do this. After all, you sang it this morning, you could see the sheet music just behind your eyelids when you close your eyes. Just keep breathing.

Amanda gave your hand a final squeeze as she recognized the look of horrified determination in your eyes. Smiling to herself as she saw the bored looks on the panelists' faces. She met eyes with Wanda, who gave her a smirk nudging the blond man sandwiched between her and Tony. Turning his attention to your regal appearance before Tony also decided to look up from whatever was so important on his phone. 

You opened your mouth to introduce yourself, and Tony's voice filled the space clearly, saying the words that had shattered your own will to find your auditions.

"I'm sorry I must have missed you before. There is no need for you to sing today, collect your things."

Your face fell into an imitation of a polite smile as your brain processed the rejection. Guess Amanda really did save me from being culled. Before you can say or do anything, though, the blond man sitting next to Tony spoke.

"Tony, you had your chance. Now it's my turn to decide whether or not she is cast. Now sit down." 

"No, it isn't too late, Steve. I bankroll this group I get to have a say. And I won't have someone who looks like her representing my Acting Company."

"You already had your say. Now sit down and let the girl sing."

"No," Stark turns from the blond man and back to you. "No fucks given, Next, please."

 CHAPTER TWO

[kalira]

CATS movie thoughts~

(post mirrored from Pillowfort here)

I went to see the new CATS movie with @mad-madam-m yesterday (we've been planning this since the first trailer dropped) and it was actually a) better than I expected, and b) enjoyable, which was a nice surprise! (I expected us to enjoy it because it was entertainingly bad, honestly.)

I've loved CATS since I saw the Broadway version as a kid, and listened repeatedly (incessantly) to the soundtrack thereof back then - and at times even these days - and was delighted to see a production of it when it came to our city when I was small.

The movie left me with 2-3 major issues and a handful of quibbles. . . I have not organised them at all, but here are my thoughts.

. . .which I am putting under a cut because I had a lot more to say than I thought, apparently.

I am not surprised they did an outsider character to be an audience surrogate, but *SIGH*

Also . . . Victoria? Whose characterisation in the stage show is 'excellent ballerina'?

I know that's why they chose her, they could fill her in as they chose, but it was weird to have a cat who left almost no impression in the stage show as the 'main character'

Okay I admittedly missed that they apparently folded in Jemima/Sillabub to her as well, but that really doesn't make me feel any better

Did we have to have the incredibly forced romantical feeling type focus?

Not to mention we had some oddness towards that with Munkustrap initially

Then there was Misto falling tail over paws - because he bumbles through everything - at her

Then the oddness of the Munjojerrie and Rumpelteazer song which was probably not supposed to added the both of them to that list, if more briefly

Holy heckies adding a new song for the new central character was not a bad idea but literally anywhere else in the goddamn movie, and not spinning off of Memory oh my lord all the no it was so cringe

Look you cannot build off of Memory as 'but I have it worse than you so feel better'

Who has it worse is never a good game to play at all, playing it here was so cringey

'What's a Jellicle?'

Okay I know, audience surrogate, but oof

Actually let me skip back - the CGI did not bother me that much and it's like 99% of the ranting I have seen about this since the very first trailer. It never bothered me that much.

The cats were made a bit more plain; that bothered me.

Let them have ruffs, especially the toms, wtf did you remove those for it looks a) weird, and b) wrong for cats

However the show really can only be played by humanoid cats, I think, or it . . . look, the production wouldn't work with more catlike cats

The addition of dialogue stringing together the songs and adding more plot elements and freedom to work with them was really not an issue in my opinion

It strung together the slightly expanded plot in a way it really needed

It wasn't that jarring or awkward, to me

Misto, oh baby, why oh why did they do that to you~

Mister Mistoffeelees, who is an aloof, confident, and incredibly skilled magician in the stage show is made into a nervously fumbling barely-past-kitten who fails at almost every bit of magic he attempts (and falls and trips rather a lot as well, when he's a brilliantly graceful dancer in the stage show)

It was painful, oh sweetie

I can guess part of why they did it, but it was not well done and I don't think it was necessary

Misto's magic was painful; not because it was painful itself but because he was so bad at it, and everyone expected him to fail every time he tried

Misto using his magic for Gus' song, for dramatic effect? I thought it was really great and also really sweet

Actually Misto being so starry-eyed at Gus was adorable all around

That could have been put in even with Misto being his confident stage self, in fact it could have been super cute to have him be composed and confident and then go to an overexcited kitten with Gus in front of him

The absence of the Conjuring Turn was so sad, it is a star point of Misto

Look I'm not a fan of the 'awkward bumbling male finds his confidence because of the unwavering (with no reason) faith of the new female love interest' trope in general, having it wedged in here suddenly did not make me like it any more

Upon the note of Misto, the rescue of Deuteronomy . . . was very badly timed on the beats, and badly done (I felt) when it finally happened.

I didn't expect her to show up when Misto first tried

I semi-expected the second time, but okay

When she didn't show up the third time it stopped being any kind of suspense - especially since, let's be real, the plot is not really a huge mystery - and became 'okay so . . . what are we doing instead now?'

And then the fourth try, when she did appear, it was done very anticlimactically

Deuteronomy being female didn't really bother me but it left me a bit eh

Judi Dench is awesome, but Deuteronomy not really singing is weird

Also, let Judi Dench's Deuteronomy have been implied to have had 9 - or 99 - wives you cowards

. . .plus that line being altered to be another repeat of 'Old Deuteronomy's had many lives, some may say ninety-nine' . . . it was awkward/clunky and felt over repetitious

Jennyanydots . . . oof, poor hon

Jennyanydots is a mature and above all sweetly sincere queen in the stage show

She honestly wants to better the mice and the cockroaches, and it's a bit silly perhaps, but she is determined to do it - and does

And the other cats respect her and, more, they genuinely care very much for her it seems

And she's earnest

I expected her to be played more for comedy given who was cast to play her, but the extent of it felt not great, to be honest, even before the other cats began to feel like they were mocking her a bit

Not to mention - the joke about the mice being dinner and a show I could let pass despite being very different from Jennyanydots as she originally was, but actually eating cockroaches as it went was a bit too far

As I told M when we were discussing the movie after the showing, it was like, I was rolling with it, and then they rolled too far

Also on that note? The CGI mice were a bit o.O - when the CGI cockroaches started marching my thought was actually 'oh, this won't feature in my nightmares at all'

They won't actually but they were kind of horrifying

I did like the cats watching with that alert, slightly twitchy focus of a cat seeing a small moving creature

The traditional costume change looked . . . weirder and creepier with the CGI than costume work

Bustopher Jones went from a dignified figure to a ridiculous one

It was again rather terrible to watch, wince-worthy

Prancing through the rubbish bins and splatting through things instead of his usual stage show refinement and rather snobbishness? Oof

Bustopher has always been respected, even specifically so because of his size, making his weight a joke and/or something he's 'extra sensitive' about was . . . so unnecessary

The Rum Tum Tugger has always been my favourite, since I was a wee tiny Kalira

. . .he was blessedly not so bad as I feared - and even went back closer to the rocker cat (complete with flirtatious tease nature) than the rap adaptation I have heard of and been continually ohgodwhy no at

However, why did they discard the few details of his character that are not a self-important flirt?

He's not even focused at that - in the stage show I am accustomed to he is very much a determined performer, basking in being adored

he was a bit 'oo shiny' and kept ignoring his adoring audience in the movie?

In the stage show he is also around to drop in playful lines from time to time

Also he sings a good chunk of Misto's song and brags him up, as well as pieces of other songs

While he claims to be distant and aloof, and may somewhat be, he continually comes back and causes minor disruptions for his own (and others') amusement in the stage show

He also protectively shelters some of the kittens more than once

Misto's barb was kept in but sounded more like a jealous, anxious attempt to detract attention instead of a teasing barb at an egotistical friend

Along with many of the songs, Tugger's was altered so that it is entirely sung about himself, and as with many of them, I felt it was better with some of the lines from another singer

Though his is not so bad as many, perhaps because he's already talking himself up

I wasn't really surprised to find he's changed from the inspirations I remember from the stage show and when I was little (Mick Jagger and David Bowie, mother told me when I got older XD) but it was still a little bit of a disappointment

Also a bit random, when mostly the soloing cats - at least/especially the ones singing for themselves in front of all the others - were competing in the formalised 'who gets to ascend' spread, that Tugger is evidently not

Mungojerrie & Rumpleteazer were kind of fantastic and then kind of wtf for me

me, during their song, as they pulled Victoria along with them to play and cause all manner of mischief in the house: I don't think I'm intended to be shipping Victoria with both of them now, but I definitely am

me, at the end of their song, as they deliberately abandoned Victoria strangling and trapped as a dog came barrelling up after her with saucy nonchalance: . . .what the fuck?

me, when they were helping with Macavity's attack directly: excuse me no

I know they're said to be 'rumoured' to help him out in the stage show but this was very different

Yeah they said here that it was 'only a bit of fun' and they didn't know Macavity was planning to kidnap Deuteronomy, but . . . no

I did actually like their colouration redesign, making them I think the only cats I did in the entire movie

The lack of their tumbling and acrobatics was a bit sad, though their song and playful successsion of running about, Victoria in tow, was fun

Macavity was played super well considering he has no lines in the stage show so rather little to go on, and the expansion of his plot was honestly understandable - I mean, CATS has a heck of a thin plot for a musical, let alone a movie

One of the things that bothered me about him was honestly that his song where he is described he is described as ginger and poorly-combed

He's played by Idris Elba and his fur is sleek rich brown

He looks great, but alter the lines, you've already altered several, including Deuteronomy's because of the genderswap

On that note, the plot expansion in general . . . it was way better than I feared

I was afraid they were going to wedge in another plotline alongside the (very thin/hardly there, admitted) one in the stage show and it wouldn't go well

On the other hand the making the Jellicle Ball an official competition was a little eh to me

The more I think about it the less I like it even, really

I suppose it had to be, maybe, to work with expanding Macavity's plot and actions, but I don't care for it (and I think it could probably have been worked around)

I could have done without the queens being actively aggressive to Grizabella, oof that was owch

They recoil and hiss and act like she has the plague or a curse, very disdainful of her, in the stage show, and it works well

Having the queens actively attack her, not only hissing but instead of recoiling circling her and closing in on her to slash at her? It was . . . not good

So I guess the lead queen that I noticed doing that the most is . . . Cassandra? I honestly thought it was supposed to be Bombalurina

Bombalurina only showed up as Macavity's chief singer and queen underling, to distract and drug everyone

Really? Yeah some of the queens sing about Macavity in the stage show, but Bomba is even the one who comforts Demeter when Macavity's presence freaks her out (in what seems like a trauma reaction, rather) in the stage show

I have no idea who is supposed to be Demeter, the queens were all but interchangeable background, really most of the chorus cats were

Which brings up the theme of a lot of the cats being unrecognisable to me, honestly, and/or having their roles remixed a little, or straight-up lessened

Skimbleshanks was awesome, and his song/number was perhaps even better than in the stage show

The tap-dancing along the rails? Awesome

The cats playing around in the sleeper cabin was also pretty great honestly

 I will say when Skimbles appeared my immediate impression was of a very specific within-the-LGBT+-community gay man stereotype

Also I am terribly amused that he's wearing half a suit of clothes and it's the opposite half that he was in the stage production I'm most familiar with

Munkustrap was rather different, still a large part of keeping things going, if not the same way

Less serious than I'm used to? Not that he's only serious, but still

He made the best faces, like, it rescued a few awkward moments

At least a handful of moments that made me go 'this is so very not the Munkustrap I know' characterisation-wise

With the battle removed and a few other things, many of the moments that make his personality shine were gone

No seeing him lunge into action as the Jellicle Protector, basically

No seeing him trying to manage the little play-within-a-play put on for Deuteronomy (even when Tugger causes mischief) although I can't blame them for cutting both of those

No seeing him shield the kittens or younger/other cats without hesitation

Instead there was mostly just the slightly silly characterisation that showed in the moments between in the movie, it seemed to me

Gus the theatre cat was another of those whose song was rewritten to be sung by themselves, though his is the most notable for that, given he barely sings at all in the stage show

I really think it worked better the other way

But they gave me Ian McKellen being awesome in that song so I am okay with this

Also, Gus using a bit of that to scare Growltiger off the ferry and into the Thames? Fabulous

Misto's song - I talked about him and about Deuteronomy's rescue, but the song

I love having it led in by Tugger in the stage show, and I love having Tugger brag him up

Tugger is good at that, honestly, it so suits his style

Misto needs a bit of bragging up, especially for this moment

First of all, changing it up so Misto sings most of it himself instead is a bit sketchy

Changing it so it becomes less of a confident, showy number and instead is Misto being so anxious he can barely sing and constantly checking reactions . . . that made it worse

Next up, changing it from Tugger - who reads as friendly to Misto, in the stage show - leading in Misto's song and encouraging the others to praise him, to Victoria who has only just met him and all the other cats being dubious as they join in. . . I did not like

My shipper heart: why would you take that away it was excellent interaction!

My non-shipper heart: why would you take that away it makes much more sense and it also makes a lovely balance with Misto teasing Tugger during his song and shows that Tugger took it in the light-hearted spirit (they're friends, they're there for each other) it seemed to be

Also that it was so sweet a bit of interplay they took it away from Tugger to give to Misto's Sudden Romantic Interest in the movie, with zero changes otherwise? I have some side-eye.

I already mentioned the rescuing Deuteronomy beats being all wrong, but it also left me thinking we'd be getting less of Misto's song and it was oddly broken-up when we did get more

The catnip usage had me a bit o.O I'll be honest, for several reasons

Erwhat with the drugging everyone in that scene?

The glowing I'm going to assume is to show that it's having an effect on the cats, but it came off a bit weird to me

There were several cats it looked like were 'trying to escape' the catnip who most definitely had/should have already been hit

Also how did the cats assisting Macavity avoid being affected? Bombalurina at first made sense, sprinkling it below herself, none of it after that did

Wow Macavity's song and climax there with the stairs right up to the 'Heaviside Layer' in his stage display? So cocky! An unwise cat

Deuteronomy smacking him down? Very nice

Continuing to do so when he disappeared them both? Even better

I was really rather surprised not to see the melee battle among the cats in the climax with Macavity

Of course that also took away some of the drama, aaand some of the chorus cats, especially the toms', chances to shine

The queens were pretty indistuingishable from each other but at least we saw them somewhat, the toms mostly seemed to be entirely background blur

Growltiger being added in as Macavity's henchcat was actually kind of great? Watching over the kidnapped cats and as a secondary (and subordinate) Bad Tom, yes

In contrast to the mischievous Mungojerrie and Rumpelteazer being used that way, I am so there for it

Grizabella was . . . a little disappointing?

She was played wonderfully! But she could have been played more

Seriously, fabulous actress there for her and they did nothing with her other than her songs and crying while singing them?

The stage production I'm familiar with has more than that with her and less time

Let her be proud and trying to gather herself up

Let her be dubious of herself and/or the others

Let her stand aside as though she doesn't even want to rejoin them after being turned aside

Look there's lots more that could have been done in the space there was with her in the movie (and without involving Victoria so much as she was, which was still a bit cringey outside Victoria's song, but at least not so badly)

She 'went with Macavity'? Felt a little unnecessary and also . . . hrm, to me

The stage show doesn't explain why the Jellicles reject her or where she was

I honestly always assumed she left on her own - Grizabella the Glamour Cat? - to make her own way, and eventually fell from grace

It was also a little strange to see her so young

Deuteronomy making the choice also felt . . . a little flat to me

I'm not sure what I was expecting or what the problem was

Regardless, it felt a little lacking somehow

I was impressed with how they had Grizabella's ascension managed, since that would be necessity be rather different from the stage show

Also great for Misto keeping some of his confidence from his song and rescue for this bit

Macavity trying to leap on and hitch a ride to the Heaviside Layer was excellent, and his getting stuck and having his magic not work to get himself un-stuck? Great

I do wonder - is his magic entirely broken, or just not working to catch his ride on Grizabella's balloon again?

The Ad-Dressing of Cats feels a bit awkward in a stage production to me; having a close-up of Judi Dench staring at me in the movie screen, for an extended time, did not make it better

Also the prologue bits about the naming of cats and what a Jellicle is were both changed and so there was no semblance of something similar in the beginning

I still think it would have been awkward, but if it bracketed the movie with the fourth wall breaks it might have worked better

The faces of the three cats close around Deuteronomy as she recited the entirety of that - which felt too long - were the only things that kept it being too awful

Munkustrap was the best in that

Misto looking horrifically embarrassed a few times and hiding behind his hat once . . . oh baby, I feel

'You're a Jellicle now!'

There's a Jellicle Ball once a year, see you then

So . . . for now, goodbye to your butt that was thrown in a sack into a junkyard we immediately ran away from

Rather than it being the Jellicles' (second, in some cases) home

I know your whole arc has been please accept me, see me, give me a place to be

But run off on your own, see you in a year

Seriously Victoria could have followed Misto, or Munkustrap, or Mungojerrie & Rumpleteazer, or anyone

Even Munku's mate could have, say, come up and encouraged Victoria to come with them

Not that we saw enough to assume he had one, still don't know who was supposed to be Demeter, but beside the point

It was a rough ending there

. . .I had a lot to say, and I'm not willing to swear that I didn't repeat myself anywhere - if I did I apologise - or skip over things I might have wanted to say. I saw the movie 24 hours ago and wrote most of this when I should have been asleep.

I did enjoy the movie and will probably watch it again - I also plan to watch the Broadway version again very soon (as soon as the library brings it to me) and have been listening to the Broadway soundtrack since yesterday afternoon.

(I may also be writing more for this fandom soon, but we'll see about that.)

[bylerly]

alright everyone. after my rush of emotions after that season, i’ve had time to decompress, and make an actually cohesive list of my thoughts about the season. as you could probably guess - MAJOR SPOILERS UNDER THE CUT!

first, let’s get the (much) shorter list out of the way. here’s what I enjoyed:

the acting. i want to mention how good millie was, because she was fantastic, but i almost feel like i shouldn’t, bc el took SO MUCH screen and plot time, that millie was given every opportunity to be good. she doesn’t really need any more special mention. otherwise - noah (with the little he was given) and sadie were particularly great. so were winona & david, but that goes without saying.

the elmax friendship. these two deserved it. and max bringing el out of her shell, showing her how to become her own person.... incredible. 10/10 i love them both

alexei. feels weird saying this, but he was probably the new addition I enjoyed watching the most. it would have been kind of cool to see him live past season 3.

an lgbt+ confirmed character. this one is a little.... tricky for me. as happy as I am that there is a queer woman written into the show... I feel like it’s a cop out to not have to confirm will’s sexuality. robin confirms her sexuality in less than a season, but after three with will, we still only get ~subtext~? still, this is a positive portion, so.... I guess that was something I was happy with

el moving in with the byers at the end. finally. this is one of the only things that is keeping me excited for s4. i guess i can only hope for there to FINALLY be some good willel interactions next season, but if this season has taught me anything, it’s not to get my hopes too high :-)

jancy ending s3 on a good note. parts of their storyline were fantastic, some were disappointing. but i really dug their dynamic, and the realistic struggle between the two of them, with nancy not really understanding jonathan’s class struggles, and jonathan not grasping the weight of the misogyny being thrown at nancy. their final moments at the empty byers house at the end were especially lovely.

el no longer being OP, and not being undefeatable. i love el. i really, genuinely do. i love her character, i love her traits, i lover her power. but the duffers were relying too heavily on her to constantly save the day with her powers, and it was happening too often. one of the faults of s2 was the constant thought of how easily el could’ve fought off all these threats if she was just there. i think it’s incredibly interesting to not only see her get completely worn out, but totally lose her powers. like mike said, i’m sure they’ll come back, but i want so badly for el to not just be defined by her powers.

a platonic m/f friendship. yes, one of them is confirmed queer, and they would’ve probably been romantically linked if she was straight. but i’ll take what i can get when it comes to this. platonic opposite sex relationships?? r i s e

now for the meat of my thoughts ~ what I didn’t like:

mike’s characterization. the writers completely made him into a dick this season. i get it, he’s a teenager, so he’s going to be an asshole sometimes. hell, in a recent post, I defended that, saying it’s good writing. but I underestimated just how awful he’d be, completely blowing off his friends for any chance for a second alone with el. I understand that he loves his girlfriend of course, but s1-2 mike loved his friends just as much. he was so utterly unlikable this season, that it seemed like he was a different character.

lucas as comic relief. this is so lazy, and i’m so angry for both the character and caleb, both of whom deserve so much better. he really had nothing to do if it wasn’t related to max, and the writers further reduced him down to a one-dimensional, kind of dumb, mediocre boyfriend, and that is not the highly intelligent, brave, kind lucas that i know and love.

will’s sidelining. god, this made absolutely no sense. noah fucking shined last season. he stole pretty much the entire thing. every critic, even those who disliked the season, had nothing but good things to say about his performance. furthermore, will has so much potential in so many different directions in so many aspects of his character. however, once he revealed to his friends that he was feeling the upside down/MF’s presence... they may as well have written out his character. he was sidelined almost to the point of background character. they gave him very little to do emotionally after that castle byers scene, and even fewer lines.

total lack of willel scenes. phew, if this wasn’t a bummer. will spoke a single line to el, and maybe one or two throwaway lines about her. if there is one thing most of the fans can agree on, it’s that will and el have the biggest connection to the upside down, the biggest unspoken connection, the most parallels, and the most intriguing potential relationship... and they really just said “fuck it” and didn’t have them interact at all. (that’s poor writing folks!) they better make up for this now that they’re living together.

amount of eleven scenes. i love her so dearly. i really do. and i’m so happy she grew into her own, not through mike or hopper. but the amount of el plot and screen time this season was actually difficult to watch. every other scene centered around her. so many characters and so much of the story went undeveloped, while she got way, way more than was necessary. additionally, take any kid’s plot (other than dustin), and guaranteed, it revolved around el. people were starting to catch on that the show was favoring her character more than even most shows’ mains.... and this season took it to a level i actual didn’t think it would.

the comedy. it was so awkwardly written. so much of it threw off the pace of the show. it seemed forced, and just... not very stranger things-esque, where the comedy was typically well-written and blended into dialogue.

the baddies. this was a huge letdown, too. i understand that the monster was large, but it was far less menacing to me than, say, the MF’s physical form. it had gore points, sure. it felt incredibly boring and predictable. in the same vein, i thought the ‘zombie’ style storyline of heather & co. would be deeper than that, but that was literally all it was. again... not interesting to me. billy was a rehash as well. the russians definitely had potential, but even that plot wound up being incredibly one-dimensional.

billy’s screentime. this was one of the things i was absolutely furious about. he got more screentime than the party (minus el) combined. they wanted for us so badly to empathize with him, to humanize him... i’m sorry, but you wrote a character that almost killed a boy for being black, that abuses his sister, and is a misogynistic asshole. abuse doesn’t excuse that, and it’s insulting to abuse survivors to say that billy inevitably became this way because of his dad, and that he deserves our uwus for it... and actually got el’s. he took screen time away from characters who desperately needed it, and that’s something i will never look at the duffers the same way for.

the scoops troop. I wanted to love erica... but i feel so indifferent to her. she was way too much this season. and robin. again, i love that she’s confirmed queer. and i dug her character more. but even then... i don’t know. i would have rather never had her introduced, and allowed established characters to have been better developed. and as a whole, the whole storyline of the troop was just what I feared: underwhelming and awkwardly placed.

high steve & robin. won’t elaborate on this too much, bc there’s not much to elaborate on. it just felt so wildly out of place and unnecessary.

that dustin/suzie number. what the hell was that? what could have been a 20 second joke was stretched out WAY too long and was bizarrely placed. just because you have an actor from broadway, doesn’t mean he needs to sing. and even if he does sing... you couldn’t have found a better time or situation? i literally was just staring at my screen in disbelief as that whole thing happened. entirely unneeded.

the amount of flashbacks. i understand most casual viewers wouldn’t remember certain things because of how long it’s been. but they literally put a recap at the beginning of the season. that’s what it’s for. and there were also plenty from like.... the episode before??? the amount they included took away so much time, that it almost just seemed like they didn’t have enough footage, and they had to fill their time stamp somehow. at some point, it just becomes insulting to the audience’s intelligence.

the overall tone. this season did not feel like stranger things in the slightest. off the top of my head, the castle byers scene and the byeler scene in mike’s garage were the exceptions. the first few episodes did have some moments. but overall... it kind of felt like some weird, high budget commercial or something. the charm, distinct aesthetic, and nuance of seasons 1 and 2 was non-existent.

the post-credit scene. there was some last-minute hype up in the reviews for this. was that supposed to be shocking in some way? i suppose this is more the fault of the reviewers who hyped it, but... really? a demodog? we’ve seen that before... i guess more the point was to show that the russians officially have some kind of technology for this. but still, an underwhelming reveal. more intriguing to me, was if hopper was the american in the cell he mentioned at the start of it. or maybe brenner?

the neutral:

that ending. on one hand, it was incredibly predictable. they literally placed an obvious shot of it in the trailer (easy to deduce that the byers had moved out, and that it was fall, so it was an epilogue scene). i was convinced that there would be a twist element they weren’t showing us, but nope. on the other hand, i thought some things were done beautifully (which wasn’t exactly a trend this season). as i mentioned, i loved the jancy moments. i really did like the hopper voiceover, although it was a little trope-y and heavy-handed... i still got a little emo, ngl. those goodbye hugs were somethin’. and, as i said before... el! moving in! with the byers! gimme

so uh... that’s it, i guess. no one really asked, but i needed to get my thoughts out. what did you guys think of the season?

[i-will-play-my-bloody-part]

Alright, so I went to a production of Newsies last night at the local civic theatre, and I’ve seen a lot of people do these, and I can’t really hold all my feels in rn, so I’m gonna have a go at it.

Okay, so I haven’t been to that many, like, local productions and stuff, so my expectations were pretty low.

But holy fuck that was FUCKING INCREDIBLE

I swear, most of them were like, eighteen, and every single one of them could be on Broadway right now, okay?

Jack did amazing, like... WOW

I still can’t wrap my head around the last note in Santa Fe (you know the one) because he HIT IT and he FUCKING HELD IT for the FULL TIME and it was FUCKING BEAUTIFUL

And Something to Believe In was a blessing to my ears, I didn’t even mind how cheesy it was because he was so good (she was also incredible, but more on that later)

And then in uhhhh, Seize the Day, I think? they were all dancing and stuff (tHe ChOReOgrApHY) and Jack comes to the front and does these beautiful pirouettes, and this is the moment I lose my shit

Also, you know that line, when Jack repeats the thing Pulitzer said? The ‘it’s a compromise we can all live with’ line? He said it SO GOOD. Like it wasn’t overdone, but it was given JUST enough emphasis to make it important and I just asdjklfgh

And, I mean, not to objectify a person with honest to goodness GOD TIER talent, but damn son

Now let me just tell you about Davey because it was beautiful and breathtaking and could I maybe keep him

So Seize the Day??? was incredible. I can’t even begin to describe how beautiful this kid’s voice was (remember I said they’re all like eighteen)

And the ‘Behold the great battalion that stand side by side/Too few in number but too proud to hide/Then say to the others who did not follow through/You’re still our brothers and we will fight for you’ was literally the most breathtaking thing

I felt my soul ascend to heaven

And it’s just that actually hearing the line ‘go and look it up the poor GUY’S head is spinning’ in person was 100% as fulfilling as I always hoped it would be

He did it so well, it was fucking PERFECT

And yes, he did put the emphasis on GUY’S and I almost cried

He said tarantulas, I REPEAT HE SAID TARANTULAS

And ‘Oh yes... above. the fold’ has now become a defining moment of my life

Also, his small tap solo on the table in King of New York was spot on

Did I mention they really did tap dance and everything all over tables and stuff in King of New York? Because they did and I was in heaven.

Racetrack was the best tap dancer there 

Lemme talk to you about Katherine, though

100% better than Kara Lindsay, and I like Kara Lindsay, okay?

Watch What Happens was a miracle like if I wasn’t gay before

She added one little flourish in and I swear it kinda made the song

But the rest of the song she did so good on? She never stuttered or stumbled or anything, and she hit everything spot on like WOW

And she did amazing in Something to Believe In and hearing that Katherine and that Jack sing harmonies together was apparently the only thing I needed in my life

also she def gave him her best shot and WHAT A SHOT

So, like, Crutchie was kind of the weak point of the show, I thought, but he didn’t do awful, he was just a little sharp sometimes, you know?

And I still came dang near crying when they dragged him away AND during Letter From the Refuge

RACETRACK HIGGINS DID GREAT

he pulled a lot of weight in this show, lemme tell you

he was kind of the rallying point for all of the cast that wasn’t you know, like, the main characters and everything

and HE DANCED and HE SANG and HE SOLD HIS MOTHER FOR A BOX OF CORONAS and it was GLORIOUS

and Albert, okay? was like??? 13 or smth? but he did so goood?

All his lines were perfectly delivered, he sang good, he danced good, he just DID GOOD

OOF I HAVEN’T MENTIONED THE WORLD WILL KNOW YET

okay, so this was one of my favorite parts in the whole show

like I just wanted to STOMP

SO THE WORLD SAYS NO WELL THE KIDS DO TOO

TRY TO WALK ALL OVER US WE’LL STOMP ALL OVER YOU

Aaalso Jack and the Pulitzer may own the world but he don’t own us?? BALUIDFGSLNC<KNfh

but even Better? Pulitzer may crack the whip BUT HE WON’T WHIP US

I swear I just

Once and For All was also top notch

THE KEY CHANGE I’M SOBBING

(I really gotta pull this together, it’s falling to pieces)

So the set was rlly simple but it was so well put together and just the way they had everyone utilizing the space was brilliant k

And the lighting was so good everything was on cue and the fight scene was all bathed in red and everything and i gotta be honest the disco lights at the end threw me a little but yolo i guess

And the CHOREOGRAPHY was incredible like where did u find all these dancing boys?

OOH OOH the lady who played Medda was HNNNNG SO GOOD

That’s Rich was honestly one of the highlights of the show, it was THAT good

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOO dude, y’all gon love this

THE BROOKLYN GANG WAS ALL FEMALE

I REPEAT THE BROOKLYN GANG WAS ALL FEMALE

Even Spot, and they did one hell of a job

especially this one girl who was rly pretty and had the best short black hair that hung in front of her eyes a little and framed her face just right and sorry this is getting off track

It was opening night, and there was just SO much energy it was amazing

And anyway I’m going back to see it again before it closes, so see y’all bitches later

[zukadiary]

On The Twentieth Century ~ Snow Troupe 2019

Oh boy. Oh dear. If you'd like some background, here is a fairly comprehensive Wikipedia summary, but since all signs point to this show disappearing forever (a tragedy), I will do my best to go through it roughly scene by scene in hopes of extending the memory. 

“Perfect” is a word I’m still reserving for A-cast West Side Story ‘18, but boy is this close. It’s exactly what I’ve been waiting for, what in my wildest dreams I wanted Daimongumi to be, and feared it might never be. It’s hands down the best time I’ve had with my beloved Yukigumi since Chigi retired, and god I hope they continue on something even VAGUELY resembling this trajectory (tragic nihonmono, not optimistic, but,,,). I hope I can convey even a fraction of the joy that is this show.

Firstly, although it is the site of the first time I ever saw Komu live and thus a house of very treasured memories, I do NOT objectively like Theatre Orb. The third floor is too high for musical theater, the back of the second floor should not be A-seki, and the sound is abysmal. Unless you’re close to the front on the first floor, the instrumentals overpower the vocals, and everywhere I sat, including a pretty good S, there was an unpleasant echo. Like, if you can tamp down the power of DAIMON’S voice, something is wrong with your acoustics. The only time I had an improved experience I was on the extreme side of the 4th row and basically hugging a speaker, but if that’s the range for decent audio it’s a problem. And for some of the impressive songs in this show (and also just for Japanese comprehension of the speedy dialogue), it was a shame.

Everything else was outstanding. I can’t describe how WONDERFUL it was to hear Yukigumi, the tragedy troupe no one asked for, get not just giggles but consistent roaring laughter again. The overall casting—both in taking a chance on giving this troupe this show, and assigning roles to some maybe unexpected people—was brilliant. I’ll get more into the individual performances as I go through the story, but in quick summary: 

Maaya was absolutely the star, in both the weight of her role and the extremely satisfying application of her many talents. Lily is, in my opinion, unquestionably the crown jewel of her Takarazuka career so far, and if something ever tops it we’ll be luckier than anyone has any right to be. I’d kill for more of this treatment going forward; she’s talented enough to carry a show, and I think the dynamic of the entire troupe improves when she’s in this strong of a position.  

Daimon, whom I love to death, was SO above and beyond what even I thought she’d be able to do with a comedy; I always suspected she could pull it off IF she had the perfect formula of support (which I wasn’t confident the current Yukigumi lineup could give her), but she was SO good and SO in charge and SUCH a tone-setter for the entire comedic situation, I was truly blown away.

Owen and Oliver are in my opinion the juiciest roles after Lily and Oscar, but maneuvering around rank to cast Aasa and Manaharu was brilliant. Aasa has been average for me after leaving a huge impression in Robespierre, but her performance as Owen was back to MVP status, and Oliver is an absolute jackpot role for Manaharu, who rarely gets to do much of anything. 

I wouldn’t have wanted to see Saki in any role but Bruce; he’s the big dumb just-a-pretty-face movie star, the butt of many jokes and the most slapstick of all the roles, and her exaggerated physicality was I think better suited to that style of comedy than the quick banter in the Oscar/Owen/Oliver group (also, for the sake of their dynamic, I wouldn’t have wanted Bruce to be someone physically smaller than Oscar).

That put Shou, who conceivably could have been cast higher, in the leftover train conductor role. It’s not as exciting a part, but it was perfect if only to clear the way for the other casting choices. She got to be the center of several musical numbers, and she got to tap dance!

After a little introductory tap number by the four main train boys (Tachibana, Suwa, Manomiya, and Seika), the show opens with famous Broadway producer Oscar Jaffe’s right hand men, Owen (Asami Jun) and Oliver (Mana Haruto), running from an angry mob of unpaid theater crew from Oscar's most recent abysmally failed production (again!). They all but crash into Daimon cameoing Al Capone (because Chicago in the 20s!) as he’s escorted away by a policeman. Owen is more laid back and pretty much always drunk; Oliver is high strung and also prone to drinking. As far as my off-the-cuff brain will take me, Aasa and Manaharu have not had much experience playing off each other, but they worked SO well together. They were so funny, so in sync, perfect foils for each other’s characters, even physically similar enough that they just really looked like a matching set of long-suffering assistants. Since Owen and Oliver don’t have any money, they give the angry mob the slip, and read a note from Oscar instructing them to meet him on the 20th Century Limited, a 16-hour luxury train ride from Chicago to New York, and secure Drawing Room A. Then we go into the prologue number (pics are from the little bit of digest video and like one online article they gave us).

Although in retrospect I think it kind of subconsciously stressed me out the first viewing, I LOVED the music and choreography in this. Almost all the numbers mimic the rhythm of a train chugging along, and much of the choreography—when it isn’t just tap literally designed to sound like a train—has a feeling of commuter busyness to it. It wasn’t just on theme, it also enhanced the chaotic screwball atmosphere. 

Owen and Oliver board the train to find Drawing Room A occupied. When their best middle-aged-white-lady-insisting-to-speak-to-a-manager voices claiming (falsely) that they booked the room weeks ago failed to work on the train staff, they deduce from some nearby luggage that Drawing Room A’s occupant is Congressman Lockwood (Touma Kazuki in a hilariously disgusting fat suit and combover with her shirt sticking out of her pants at all angles) reserved under a fake name. Suspicious, Owen and Oliver burst into the room under the pretense of delivering said luggage and catch the congressman fondling his much younger secretary (Sara Anna). They win the room by threatening to leak what they saw if he doesn’t leave—Riisha scrambling around in such a disheveled huff while Aasa loudly counts down from ten. Score! But just then the train starts moving and Oscar is still nowhere to be found.

Whoops. He loses his hat, Owen and Oliver pull him through the window, and despite his abject failures in both life and train boarding, he lands dramatically front and center, all pomp and ego, waxing lyrical about the glory awaiting them in New York. Poor Oliver, despite being generally more sober and organized, is also more abused.

Daimon, always so delicately pretty and deeply sad, nailed Oscar so hard I don’t have nearly enough words for it. Her eye makeup was stern and crazy (and pretty monochromatic, nice touch for the 20s vibe), her mustache was GROSS, her neurotic mannerisms were so on point and so funny. She AD LIBBED!! WELL!! I was CRYING of laughter on senshuuraku, and she wasn’t just reacting; she was DOING THE AD LIBBING. The way she fidgeted and flailed and whimpered and yelled and modulated her voice WAY high and back down again to drag us though Oscar’s manic journey was just soooooo perfect. Not that I had any doubt she’d kill the songs, but they were hard, so it was all the more impressive. As perfect as Aasa and Manaharu were together, the three of them played flawlessly off of each other too. 

Interrupting Owen and Oliver’s failing attempts to convince Oscar that they are in fact heading for insolvency rather than glory, the conductor informs the passengers that they are approaching Englewood and Oscar flips out. He reveals actress Lily Garland, his former protégé and lover, is boarding there and will be staying in Drawing Room B. He gleaned this information from a bellboy who told a maid and stalked Lily onto the train without her knowledge, but insists that in the 16 hours to NY he’ll be able to convince her to star in his next show, solving his financial problems. Owen and Oliver are Stressed.

This leads into my absolute favorite progression of scenes: a flashback introducing how Lily and Oscar came to meet. Oscar is auditioning Imelda Thornton (the goddess Satsuki Aina) for the role of Veronique, a Parisian street singer who refuses to sleep with Otto Von Bismarck so he attacks Paris and starts the Franco-Prussian war as revenge (men!). If only the photos from this scene showed the parts I want; Daimon was SO funny. Imagine like, the face you make when you try to give yourself 8 chins and take the ugliest low-angle selfie you can. Daimon was that + a thousand-yard stare of skepticism, fidgeting neurotically and tapping the arms of the director’s chair, with Oliver and Owen standing behind, simultaneously goofing off and keeping things running smoothly. Also in the picture at this point: Max Jacobs (Agata Sen), a successful Hollywood producer trying to sign Lily in the present, but in the flashback, Oscar’s (later fired) useless assistant who can’t even take Imelda’s coat correctly. Imelda, an all-ego-no-talent diva, is freaking out because her regular pianist was sick so she had to hire a substitute last minute and she’s late. Enter now Midred/soon to be Lily (Maaya) through the audience, in oversized glasses, tacky pink house dress, and matching hair cap, dropping her sheet music all over the place. Imelda is furious, Oscar is disgruntled, Max is Stressed. Mildred sits down at the piano, Imelda declares she’s going to sing “The Indian Maiden’s Lament,” and tries to begin but Mildred is still dramatically warming up her hands and shoulders. Finally she gives the ok and starts playing something completely different (Imelda, furious; Oscar, melting into a pile of gooey discontent). 

Take 2, Mildred begins playing the correct song beautifully, while Imelda sings horrendously and Oscar tries violently and wordlessly to convey to Owen and Oliver in moments of Imelda’s averted gaze that they need to stop this somehow. Imelda hits a sour note that’s just the last straw for Mildred, and she stops playing and corrects her (gorgeously, flawlessly, Maaya’s voice is a treasure). Imelda, flustered, thanks her and tries again, but isn’t any better. Mildred keeps stopping and correcting her, eventually just singing the end of the song herself, while Oscar, moving his chair closer with hilarious little Flintstone car footsteps, stares at her agape and then gives her a standing ovation. Imelda loses her cool and fires Mildred on the spot for ruining her audition; Mildred hulks out and demands her pay for the day plus train fare (Oscar, fully Team Mildred at this point, is mimicking all her movements behind her). Imelda pays and storms off, telling her assistant to call her an ambulance. Just as Mildred starts packing her things to go, Oscar declares he wants her for Veronique and asks her name.

I wish I could share with you all the sound that both of them made saying “Mildred Plotka,” pronounced “Mildred BLEGCH” with copious spit. I’m embarrassed to admit I just spent a good 30 minutes? trying to chase down a vivid childhood memory—I was 11, and watching Spaceballs on TV with my bff, and in the combing the desert scene they censored “we ain’t found shit” not with a bleep but with some absurd SCHMUSCHSG noise, and my bff and I laughed for approximately 8 days, because we were 11 and probably eating Gushers—and in my memory this and Mildred BLEGCH were the exact same sound, and I wanted you to experience it so much I watched every combing the desert clip on youtube fruitlessly, hoping one would be this exact censorship (sorry... I’m just... Daimon was funny??? and I’m very emotional about it????). Anyway, since no one can say Mildred BLEGCH, Oscar decides her new name will be Lily Garland. After some hemming and hawing about not being an actress, Lily decides to give it a shot. The house dress tears away and we have the snazzy number “Veronique.”

Maaya was absolutely brilliant throughout the entire show, but this number hit me extra hard. Not only was she exceptional vocally through a very challenging song (dancing all the while), but her aura of a freshly hatched starlet, packed with youth and hope and freshness and naiveté and raw unpolished talent, contrasted so vividly with the successful Hollywood actress still fueled by Mildred Plotka spitfire that we see in the rest of the show; I found it VERY striking. It was subtle but so effective and truly masterful acting. Veronique ends, Daimon re-enters from the audience and tosses a bouquet (the first time I saw it she missed the stage, and Maaya, fully in character and without missing a beat, just parkour’d off the stage and grabbed it and hopped back on), and we’re ushered back into the present.

The conductor enters Oscar’s room to inform everyone that a religious nut is vandalizing the train with REPENT FOR THE TIME IS AT HAND stickers, but not to worry because they’re doing everything they can to catch the culprit; and to drop off a play that he’s written about a day in the life of a conductor (to Oscar’s annoyance). Then the train arrives at Englewood station, and Lily boards with a flurry of paparazzi, her assistant Agnes (Chikaze Karen), and her attention-whoring movie actor boyfriend Bruce (Ayakaze Sakina). Maaya (in a GORGEOUS dress) is instantly the Hollywood diva instead of the wide-eyed starlet; Saki is the comic relief in what’s already a screwball comedy. Oscar is a terrible person, so if you can imagine how big and dumb and sappy and suffocating and clumsy Bruce has to be to make you root for Oscar, Saki was all that. 

The two lovebirds put on quite a show of excessive PDA for the photographers while Agnes rolls her eyes, until it’s time for Bruce to leave the train. 

Lily falls to the floor dramatically, wailing oh WHAT will I do without him, when Bruce bursts back into the room, declaring he can’t possibly let the love of his life go to NY all by herself (Lily, all sorrow a minute before, is not 2 seconds later annoyed to see him). So he’s now along for the ride to witness Oscar’s whole scheme.

Owen and Oliver, trying to take matters into their own hands, show up in Lily’s room to beg her sincerely to do a play with Oscar, hoping she’ll pity him and his dire financial situation enough to do him a favor. 

Lily sings a whole song about how that’s never ever ever going to happen, and Bruce freaks out to learn that Oscar is on the train. Lily insists they have no romantic history, and then immediately lights up when she hears Oscar’s voice in her head. They sing a lovey duet representing that they’re still clearly both on each other’s minds. Despite the comedic and not at all tender nature of this show, and the love-hate relationship between these two characters, Daimon and Maaya’s chemistry, in my opinion, has never been better. I wouldn’t have thought it would take playing two self-centered assholes who both despise and desperately want each other to send the sparks flying, but BOY did it do the trick. 

Meanwhile, the REPENT sticker situation is getting worse, and the audience at this point realizes that the culprit is the unassuming little old Letitia Primrose—played brilliantly by Kyou Misa. 

She sings about how she’s taken it as her mission to encourage young people to repent for their sins. 

Oscar hears from Owen and Oliver that Lily is with Bruce and is despondent; he declares that he still loves her will definitely steal her back from both him and Hollywood. Oliver is fed up with his nonsense and tells Oscar he’s off his rocker (bless Manaharu and her ability to simultaneously look like a squirrelly little dude in her suit and bowtie and also not only stand up to Daimon but rile her up and get even more out of her). They get into a big fight and as Oliver storms out of the room, Oscar notices a giant REPENT sticker on Oliver’s back and chases after him to remove it. When he removes and reads it, he’s struck with divine inspiration for a new play about Mary Magdalene, a part so good Lily can’t possibly resist it.

Oscar is so sure this will work he instructs Owen to go buy him a bible so he can start writing the script immediately. Owen reminds Oscar that the train is in fact moving and they can’t really do anything at all, when they see Ms. Primrose’s bible on a chair (and all fall dramatically to the ground). Oscar takes that as a second miracle, insisting this means there will be a third, and Owen and Oliver agree to play along with his demands.

Oscar, now filled with renewed confidence, and Bruce, just as big and dumb as ever, sing a duet about how Lily is theirs (not at each other, separately in their own rooms). Both of them are just awful men.

While the two of them are non-confrontationally fighting over the same woman, Owen is in the bar trying to write a press release about the triumphant return of golden duo Oscar Jaffee and Lily Garland. Ms. Primrose picks up a crumpled draft from the floor and muses that she’d love nothing more than to sponsor some big artistic project. That gets Owen’s attention, and she reveals to him that she runs a patent medicine company and doesn’t know what to do with all her money. Owen calls to Oliver that they’ve found their third miracle!

Back in her room, Lily emerges in lime green negligee, to Bruce’s delight. Things are just getting uh sexy I guess when Oscar interrupts them and actually confronts Lily for the first time.

Bruce is furious that Lily lied about her history with Oscar, who is sitting on the couch in back of the room drinking their champagne and eating all the olives out of their martini glass as they argue. Bruce eventually storms off, slapping his headshot onto the wall as he leaves the room (Oscar immediately stands and tears it up). Lily sits down on the couch, now arguing with Oscar and angrily joining him in eating olives. Their hands touch going for the glass at the same time; Lily sternly tells him to let her go but then turns around and caresses her hand happily. Oscar takes this moment to spring his play idea on her; Lily reveals that she heard the whole story of his bankruptcy from Owen and Oliver and tells him she’s on her way to NY to sign with a reliable producer (the formerly useless Max Jacobs who Oscar himself fired). Realizing he’s out of game, Oscar starts hurling insults and they sing another spark-flying duet—Lily insisting she has everything, and Oscar insisting movies are beneath her talents and she’ll rot in Hollywood and fall into obscurity. 

Lily eventually kicks Oscar out, EARNESTLY throwing and smashing a champagne bottle against the door behind him. Oscar, without even taking a breath between Lily’s room and his, screams at his two traitors for ruining his plan and strangles poor Oliver (on senshuuraku Daimon held on for a comically long time, and Manaharu, refusing to concede that ad lib, then played dead on the floor for a good minute). Oliver and Owen save their own asses by telling Oscar about the sponsor they managed to find on board, and THAT’S ACT ONE (right before curtain, we see a tiny little plane labeled “Max Jacobs” flying above the train).

During the big ensemble number (”Life is Like a Train”) that opens act 2 we discover that the train is now absolutely covered in REPENT stickers, then Owen and Oliver take Oscar to meet Ms. Primrose.

I can’t stress enough how delightful Kyou Misa was, the perfect little ostensibly earnest but just subtly batty old lady; the way she stiffly hobbled around was adorable too. Ms. Primrose is thrilled to work with the great Oscar Jaffee, and even more thrilled to share the story of Mary Magdalene with the world, and asks him how much money he needs. Oscar nervously asks for $20,000, at which Ms. Primrose balks that that CAN’T possibly be enough and writes a check for $200,000. Oscar, Owen, and Oliver giddily sing “Five Zeros” in a manner not unlike Scrooge McDuck swimming in his gold coins, and over the course of the song Ms. Primrose bumps it up to $20,000,000 (in the 1920s!). Now they’re sure they’ll be able to lure Lily back. 

Oscar is about to go grab Lily and introduce her to Ms. Primrose when the train doctor Dr. Johnson (Kujou Asu) busts into his room with yet another manuscript (A day in the life of a doctor!). I mention this mostly because a) I LOVE ASU DEEPLY, she is so underused, and b) the three musketeers leverage this manuscript situation later on in my other favorite scene. They get rid of Johnson and Oscar finds that Lily wants to see him also. She sits him down and asks Bruce to give them some time alone (on his way out, he goes to replace his torn head shot with a new one that comically unfolds into five headshots before Oscar violently chases him the rest of the way out the door). Oscar is fuming, and Lily tenderly asks him to sit, which he does with a grumpy face and a flamboyant kick as he reluctantly crosses his legs on the sofa. Lily explains that she’s embarrassed by her behavior so far, is so grateful to Oscar for her career, and wants to help him after all... so she reaches into her bra and pulls out a check for $35 so at least he’s not dead broke. Oscar, amused, stands up and, acting as if he’s a magician, folds up the $35 check and dramatically asks Lily to blow on his hand. Out comes the $20,000,000 check.

Oscar ushers Lily into his room to prove to her that Ms. Primrose is in fact a real person who wants to sponsor his new play, if she’ll star in it. Lily, despite still generally feeling like she’d rather die than work with Oscar again, is now enticed both by the role of Mary Magdalene, which is much juicier than what she’s been allowed to do on screen, and the prospect of raking in this much money without being beholden to the jerks who run Hollywood. Faithful Oliver has already prepared a contract, and we get “Sign It Lily,” probably both the most difficult/impressive song and biggest earworm of the show. Not the best version but here, have a listen.

Oscar, Owen, Oliver, and Ms. Primrose are all bombarding Lily trying to get her to put her name on the thing (I truly don’t know when Daimon breathes), while simultaneously trying to keep Bruce and his contrary agenda out of the room (Saki gets repeatedly slammed into doors and walls, closed into closets, suffocated with pillows, etc). Lily gets overwhelmed and runs back to her room, pursued by a cocky triumphant Bruce, who yells behind him that they’ll never get her back away from movies.

Oscar gets a lightbulb moment at the word movie, and the team files one by one back into Lily’s room, smashing Bruce in the head with the door each time. Oscar tells Lily that if she agrees to do the play, he’ll shop the movie rights to whatever studio she wants (to which Ms. Primrose responds WHY BOTHER, she’ll fund the movie too). That pushes her over to yes, and she takes the contract to read carefully. The conductor enters the room notifies everyone that they are approaching Cleveland, and that Ms. Primrose’s nephew and his wife sent a telegram ahead that they’d be boarding the train there to meet her. She turns cold and hurries off alone. 

Owen, out for a celebratory entire bottle of wine, coincidentally runs into Ms. Primrose’s nephew (Machi Yuuka), who is frantically searching for his aunt. He says she hasn’t been all there since she stepped down from her position as company president, and just escaped from her mental institution. Owen asks about her money, the nephew says there is none, and Owen realizes they’re fucked.

In the frantic search for the missing Ms. Primrose, Bruce overhears Owen breaking the news to Oscar and Oliver, and tells Lily that Oscar deceived her again. She’s furious, and Oscar probably only escapes with his life because just at that exact moment, the formerly useless and fired but currently hot and successful Max Jacobs bursts through the door (Oscar yells MAX JACOBS like he’s going to burst every single blood vessel in his head and neck).

Max hopped a private plane to Cleveland to meet the train, because he has a brand new play written just for Lily (called “Babette”), and he’s so excited he can’t wait for her to get all the way to New York. Babette is a glamorous high society type role about a woman in love with two men. Lily starts reading the script, but finds herself wondering out loud if it can be changed to be more like Oscar’s. Max is incredulous and starts trash talking Oscar, and Lily slaps him REAL HARD in the face. She then catches herself yet again and and asks to be left alone to read the Babette script more carefully.

We’re taken to Lily’s wistful daydream of a classy party taking place in the Babette universe as she tries to wrap her head around the show and imagine herself in the title role. But she finds it dull, and every few pages, she has an intrusive thought about the more inspiring Mary Magdalene—one minute she’s milling through the impeccably dressed party guests, and the next she’s face to face with Owen or Oliver or Ms. Primrose dressed like an Apostle, until finally Oscar dressed as Calaf Jesus crashes the whole thing from behind. 

(Yup that’s a screenshot of the bromide sample page).

But Lily brings herself to her senses yet again, drives away all thoughts of Oscar, and agrees to sign with Max.

Oscar has lost and he’s despondent. He walks into the train bar to find Oliver sulking behind Owen who is passed out drunk in a chair. He takes out a gun (Oliver tries frantically to wake Owen), and begins a melodramatic monologue about how it’s better just to end his life now because no one wants to see him become a beggar in times square. 

Daimon hilariously mimes Oscar begging, then people throwing garbage at him, then dodging the thrown bits (on senshuuraku Aasa and Manaharu joined in with pretending to throw things). Eventually he leaves the room in despair, and Oliver asks Owen if he thinks boss would really kill himself. Owen is in the middle of saying absolutely no way when they hear a gunshot and run into the next room.

Oscar, now in a comical panic rather than a depression, is clutching his side and gasping that he’s been shot, and the heretofore still missing Ms. Primrose is in the corner of the room holding the gun by her fingertips, crying that she was just trying to put it away when it went off. 

Oliver runs to get Dr. Johnson while Owen tends to Oscar who is (again, comically) writhing in a chair and complaining that being shot by a crazy granny is not how he wanted to go, and this is my second favorite progression of scenes.

Owen offers to call the pastor for Oscar (who, by the way, cannot identify WHERE he has been shot), and Oscar gets mad. Owen then offers him ice cream. Oliver sticks his head back in the door to ask of Oscar is dead yet. Owen says not yet and brings in Dr. Johnson (Asu, my love) who at first giggles and assumes that because it’s Mr. Jaffee he’s just acting. Owen and Oliver assure him this is real, and begin moaning and wailing as Dr. Johnson examines Oscar in earnest.

He stands up, and Owen and Oliver take this to mean it’s a hopeless case, and it’s time for them to say goodbye. On senshuuraku, Daimon verrrrrrrrry slowly slid all the way down the chair, so that Aasa had to hold her up by the arms to keep her from wiping out, AND had to kick her foot to a lower step of the stage so she could stand up again. The raku digest thankfully shows a bit of this, along with the Matrix move Daimon had to pull to jump to her feet when Dr. Johnson declares that Oscar hasn’t been shot at all.

(It does not, however, convey how drawn out and hilarious this was, nor does it show the chair then toppling onto poor Aasa, and it taking her at least 3 tries to get it off her again).

Oscar then gets another harebrained idea, and tells Dr. Johnson that he read his manuscript from before and that it’s SO GOOD he wants to give him an acting lesson right then and there. Dr. Johnson is stoked. Oscar tells him to just sit in the chair, stare at him solemnly, and shake his head back and forth if anyone looks at him (Asu, over the next few minutes, gives what my admittedly biased heart firmly believes is the award winning performance of the show). Oliver and Owen are to pretend Oscar is dying. The cherry on top of senshuuraku was in the moment before this all commenced, Daimon, immediately after the chair debacle, took an extra long pause before delivering (completely straight-faced) her usual line of “I don’t want to see any hammy acting,” after which the others took a comically long pause before replying, “Yep.”

Dr. Johnson takes his place in the formerly toppled chair, Oscar grabs a pillow and lays down on the floor, Oliver and Owen go fetch Lily and start wailing again. Agnes and Bruce also follow Lily into the room and start crying themselves at the sight of Oscar “dying” on the floor. Dr. Johnson looks around from person to person in a panic and starts hyperventilating. Owen and Oliver mime at him to look sadder, Asu licks her finger and dabs tears on her cheeks and then makes the dumbest crying face I’ve ever seen, shaking her head increasingly aggressively each time someone in the room looks at her. Daimon and Maaya are weepily singing “Lilyyyyyyyy, Oscaaaaarrrr” back and forth for deadass three entire minutes. I can’t believe how much vocal control Daimon has even lying on her back on the damn floor.

Lily eventually signs the contract as Oscar’s dying wish. When Max enters the room, Oscar immediately jumps up to rub it in his face, and Lily once again is furious at being deceived. Oscar claims that with no money to offer, the only way he could rescue her from a rotted career was through trickery. **I FORGOT BECAUSE I FINISHED THIS AT 6AM AFTER BEING UP ALL NIGHT that Lily gets the last word because she hasn’t actually signed her name at all but written PETER RABBIT. They throw things and hurl vicious insults at each other and then finally realize they’re just too hot for each other after all and throw open their arms and get married.

The finale opened with Agata in a top hat and tails dancing with a stick and a bunch of musumeyaku, then there was a huge golden group tap number and a lovely waltz for the duet dance. 

I’ve been pretty upset that I had to miss BeruBara 45 and that I booked the trip I’m currently on before finding out Komu and Wataru would be returning to Bow Hall this summer, but being able to see this, especially since we’ll never see it again, was so so worth it. It was certainly a much needed boost for me personally, and it seems like it was a boost for the troupe and for Daimon and Maaya as a combi as well. I’m always torn about Broadway shows like this, because they’re SO good, and I WANT them to take on these kinds of challenges, especially when the result is so spectacular, but it’s such a bummer when they disappear forever. Many points to Harada for fitting this weird musical to Yukigumi like a perfect cozy little glove. 

[dreamsofthescreen]

The Music of ‘The Last Five Years - Analysis and Review

A tale of love lost and found told is taken to new heights.

Anna Kendrick and Jeremy Jordan in 'The Last Five Years'

Playwright and composer Jason Robert Brown’s musical favourite ‘The Last Five Years’ focuses on the pitfalls of a five year relationship. Centralised around just two characters, the sung through, pop-operetta is outstanding in its musical communication.

Set in New York City, struggling actress Cathy Hyatt (Anna Kendrick) and successful novelist Jamie Wellerstein (Jeremy Jordan) reflect on the struggle and failings of their five years relationship through song. The catch is that Cathy’s songs begin at the end of the marriage, with her final song at the beginning of her and Jamie’s love affair, whilst Jamie’s songs start at the beginning and end at the final moments in the relationship.

The concept is modern and seems simple, yet it is the music that creates every important and expertly emotional detail to string the plot together, transforming what could just be seen as a simple relationship into an important lesson. Each song delves into each colour of emotion felt during that point during the couples’ relationship. Both actors have an extensive background in musical theatre, Anna Kendrick (plays Cathy) also known for starring in the ‘Into The Woods’ feature film & ‘High Society’ on Broadway as a child. Whereas Jeremy Jordan (plays Jamie) has been a Broadway star for years, belting out tunes in shows like, ‘Newsies’ and ‘Bonnie and Clyde’. These actors are not theatre novices, and knowing this, we can anticipate a powerful performance. The beauty of this story is how realistically it has been told. Every section of Cathy and Jamie’s journey is detailed. The melodic, sweeping, and sometimes tense and stirring piano leads each track and strings them together.  

An example of this is “Still Hurting”, the first song introduced in the film. As a heartbroken and bleak Cathy sings, she so eloquently touches on every emotion of raw agony following her and Jamie’s separation.

However plain and obvious they may be, the lyrics really set up the deeply told story of Cathy and Jamie. Cathy sings lines like ‘Jamie arrived at the end of the line, Jamie ’s convinced that the problems are mine’. Brown’s writing has Cathy repeating Jamie’s name, personalising her story and painting Jamie out to be the only one at fault. This gives us Cathy’s perspective purely, which in hindsight, allows us to see how their relationship went wrong - their lack of understanding and communication. The line ‘Jamie’s convinced that the problems are mine’, speak great truth as Jamie never takes responsibility for the failure of their marriage and seems to even blame Cathy for his infidelity later on in the play. ‘Still Hurting’ tosses back and forth between Cathy’s resentment of and love for Jamie. As she outlines his failures, Brown has Cathy delving deeper into her real feelings. This being said, that in the end, she still is in love with Jamie. After all of her built up anger, she is left with heartbreak, questioning, ‘maybe I’d see how you can be so certain that we had no chance at all’.

It is this that makes Brown’s writing so extraordinary as he doesn’t focus on just one emotion per song, as many others might, but chooses to realistically depict a characters mix of bitterness and mourning in the end of a relationship. In a world where we are surrounded by films of romance at times only seen in two stages (in love and broken up), the point of ‘The Last Five Years’ is to dissect every point and flaw that led to a relationship’s descent. This shows us a realistic perspective of a marriage, how they take a lot of work and are far from simple, making it a beautifully refreshing tale. In the film version, director Richard LaGravenese decided to reject the stage interpretation where Jamie and Cathy meet in the middle of the play. In the feature film, they are seen together in nearly every song, which some may not appreciate, but I believe adds more room for interaction and feeling.

Anna Kendrick in 'The Last Five Years'

Through Brown’s storytelling, we are shown a lesson in love and, as fans, get to squabble about who was most at fault in Cathy and Jamie’s marriage. Many only focus on Jamie’s downfalls, and yes his were certainly paramount as he resorted to cheating on his wife, but Cathy also had faults in their marriage. It is these faults that are presented in two tracks titled, ‘If I Didn’t Believe In You’ & ‘A Part of That’.

‘If I Didn’t Believe In You’ is an extraordinary track that so analytically highlights the trouble between Cathy and Jamie - their emotional imbalance and lack of understanding for one another. As Jamie, a successful writer, attempts to butter up unsuccessful actress, Cathy, his comforting support spirals into his revealed frustration with his wife. As Cathy refuses to go to one of his publishing company parties, he tries to determine the truth of why she doesn’t want to go - it being that she feels unequal to Jamie’s success. Jamie sings, ‘if I didn’t believe in you we’d never have gotten this far, if I didn’t believe in you and all of the ten thousand women you are’. Through this, Jamie attempts to encourage Cathy, explaining that he wouldn’t be with her if he thought she wouldn’t eventually be successful and therefore she should believe in her ambitions as well. Yet, the compelling nature of this track is how it twists to reveal Jamie’s true feelings. Change in either Cathy or Jamie’s emotions throughout a singular song is something seen in Brown’s songs throughout the musical. This change starts as Jamie’s comfort turns to questioning of Cathy’s emotions, singing ‘if I’m cheering on your side Cathy, why can’t you support mine?’.

As the song grows darker, the strings and piano grow wilder, moving from a smooth and melodic tone to more emotive violins, and then unto erratic staccato string phrases. Jamie’s vocals move with the music, creating more tension and passion which stirs in us as the audience and lets us follow along the quick, emotional journey. As the story grows darker, Jamie admits ‘I will not fail so that you can be comfortable Cathy, I will not lose because you can’t win.’ Jamie’s repetition of Cathy’s name goes from being warm support to questioning and then eventuating in a sarcastic and patronising tone. This personalisation is eerily resonant of ‘Still Hurting’, as Cathy also repeats Jamie’s name, initially because of her bitterness towards him, but eventuating in his name being a remark of her heartbreak.

In bittersweet song ‘A Part Of That’, the bridge of the tune is what is gripping. However sweet sounding the melody may be, Cathy is reflecting upon the imbalance of her and her partner’s success, yet states that she must go along with it. She sings ‘instead of side by side, I take his cue…true, but there’s no question, there’s no doubt, I said I’d stick it out and follow through’. In saying this, we again can see an unequal situation - Cathy is literally saying that she is not in this with her partner & that she has to ‘stick it out’ when feeling compared to her successful husband. If you look at Cathy’s songs, they mostly seem to be her struggling to cope with her standstill acting career, until she cracks in “See I’m Smiling”, a song detailing her frustration with her personal and professional life. This is no exception, as Cathy’s attitude is much different to ‘If I Didn’t Believe In You’, showing the progression of her emotions towards her relationship. Yet, the ending of Jamie and Cathy’s marriage was not black and white, Cathy also had faults that factored in the descent of their relationship. Cathy does not pull her own weight in the relationship, that she needs to be the one to fix her problems and not her husband. Yet she does not change her attitude or jealousy of Jamie.

As much as they fake it, they really do not have a true understanding or support for one another. Jamie is frustrated with Cathy’s constantly discouraged persona, as he does attempt to help her along the way. He sings ‘maybe you’re heart’s completely swayed, but your head can’t follow through’ in “The Schmuel Song” (a sung story that Jamie tells Cathy to encourage her acting career). All that Jamie ‘believed in’ with Cathy was just a means to help himself & get her to be there with him at his book party.

As the lyrics hit the nail on the head of emotion, details & references throughout the musical are paramount. The show itself does not have named reprises; each song is standalone. So reminders of change come through specific lyrics, which I personally think are more haunting, because they aren’t as obvious. as Cathy speaks to Jamie about her ambitions to rise above ordinary relationships in ‘I Can Do Better Than That’, she refers to a failed relationship of hers, singing, ‘he blew me off with a heartfelt letter, I thought I can do better than that.’ In the end of the musical, Jamie does just this - blows Cathy off with a seemingly sincere letter. It is the hope and hate that are so cleverly contrasted throughout the musical through the switching timelines that show us the sad beauty of a love weakening.

Final track, ‘Goodbye Until Tomorrow’ is the contrast between hope in the beginning of a shiny relationship, and the reality of its ending, making it purely bittersweet. Jamie, again, focuses purely on himself. The only time he refers to Cathy is through blame, even it was his actions that ended the relationship. By stating, ‘you never noticed how the wind had changed’, it shows the lack of communication from both of them. As much as Jamie states ‘If I Didn’t Believe In You’, he really does give up on her, sung in ‘I Could Never Rescue You’. The couple become too invested in each others' professional life, with Jamie feeling as though Cathy’s career was his responsibility and therefore a burden unto him. And Cathy feels constantly sorry for herself & inadequate to her husband's flourishing writing career.

As far as lyrically impacting musicals go, I put 'The Last Five Years' as one at the top of that list. However simple it may appear, writer and composer Jason Robert Brown has executed many colours of honest love and heartbreak through the music. The blend of superior acting and vocals alongside the beautifully written narratives define what makes this piece of art so wonderful. As musical theatre enthusiasts identify a 'Jamie' as being anything but good, we can see how 'The Last Five Years' has, through its poignant storytelling, become a fan favourite.

Stars Out of Five: 4.5/5

[lady-divine-writes]

Klaine one-shot - “Once Upon a Bed” (Rated NC17)

When Kurt and Blaine's f*cking break Blaine's bed, Kurt decides that Blaine's room needs a bit of a makeover. (1405 words)

A/N: Inspired by many posts I've seen wanting a sassy, skanky, young Dom Kurt and an older sub Blaine. This is also a re-write. Warnings for Dom/sub, humiliation, bondage, financial domination, and anal sex. NSFW.

Read on AO3.

Creak-creak-creak-creak …

“Oh God, Kurt!” Blaine moans, crunching his abs to bring his ass up, and spreading his legs to open himself up wider. “Oh God, yes!”

“You like that, baby? Huh?” Kurt grins. He knows Blaine does. Blaine’s a slut for a good, hard pounding.

“Yes …” Blaine swallows, squeezing his eyes shut to avoid getting sweat in them. “Harder, Kurt! Harder, please!”

“Say the magic words,” Kurt sings, slowing down purposefully to get what he wants.

Blaine’s lips tighten into a line. Kurt’s going to kill his buzz with this bullshit. Blaine could refuse, but then Kurt would stop. He would literally pull the fuck out and walk away. Blaine doesn’t want to say it, but he’s too deep into this fucking to turn back, not with his cock throbbing like it’s ready to explode.

“Please, Master,” Blaine says, trying not to grind his teeth. Kurt hates it when Blaine grinds teeth.

“Please … Master … what?” Kurt asks, frustrated that Blaine’s forcing him to slow down more by being so damned stubborn.

“Please, Master,” Blaine says, struggling to be a good boy and say the right words, “fuck your piggy. Fuck your piggy, Master. Make me squeal.”

“And you’ll do anything?” Kurt slows down even further, using long, purposeful thrusts to help Blaine remember how to beg properly.

“Yes.” Blaine’s jaw drops lower and lower when every one of Kurt’s thrusts ghosts over his prostate. “Yes, I’ll … I’ll do anything.”

“You’ll pay anything?” Kurt asks.

“Yes!” Blaine whines at the agony of his engorged cock threatening to simmer without its promised orgasm. “I’ll pay anything! Just … ungh! Please!”

Kurt grabs Blaine’s legs and lifts them, one over each of his shoulders, and drives inside his body.

Creak-creak-creak-creak-critch …

“You will pay, little piggy,” Kurt teases, flipping his damp, crayon-red bangs out of his face. “Whatever I want. You’ll pay it.”

“Oh God!” Blaine gasps, putting Kurt’s inane demands behind him and enjoying the ride. “Y-yeah … j-just like that, Master. Just like that ...” Blaine holds still and lets Kurt take control – not that Kurt didn’t have it to begin with, especially with Blaine’s wrists cuffed to the bed. But Kurt’s like a machine. It humbles Blaine that, at barely ten years older than his twenty-two-year-old Dominant, he can’t keep up. But then the torment wouldn’t be as deliciously painful as it is if Blaine could. “D-don’t stop! God, don’t stop!”

Creak-creak-creak-creak-snick …

“Jesus, Blaine!” Kurt groans, running his nails up Blaine’s thighs. “You’re so tight. You’re so … Oh, God … I’m cum … cumming … I’m …”

“Yes, yes, yes, yes …” Blaine chants, back arching, wrists rolling.

Creak-creak-creak-creak-snap …

“Master, I’m …”

“Yeah … God … so am I …”

Creak-creak-creak-creak-CRASH!

Kurt and Blaine cum just as the entire world seems to drop down and to the left at a 45 degree angle.

“What the … what the fuck!?” A breathless Kurt shudders, kneeling up and looking around. “Am I blacking out?”

“I don’t think so,” Blaine pants. “Unless I’m blacking out, too.”

Kurt crawls down the bed. With Kurt’s body gone, Blaine feels himself sliding down the satin sheets. That’s when it hits him.

"You … you broke the bed, Kurt!” Blaine laughs. “You broke the damn bed! I’ve had this bed since before high school! It went to NYU with me! I’ve owned it longer than you’ve been alive!”

“Really?” Kurt climbs carefully off the one steady side of the busted bed. “With all your fronting over the amount of trim you got through college, I’m amazed it took this long to snap.”

“Well, most of my partners just lie back and take it,” Blaine explains. “You’re the most violent fuck I’ve ever had!”

“Nice.” Kurt removes the condom from his rapidly softening cock, spurred to flaccidity by this conversation. “Well, come on, Mr. Broadway Star! Buy another one! And make it snappy!! I’m hoping for a round two in about an hour," Kurt scolds, tossing Blaine’s jeans in his face.

“I can’t,” Blaine grumbles through the denim covering his mouth.

“Why in hell not? Serving me is all you’re scheduled to do today, and I want a new bed! Hurry up! Chippity-chop-chop, Blaine!”

“I can’t …” Blaine whips his head back and forth to get the jeans off his face "… because you didn't un-cuff me yet!”

Kurt, who’d been slipping on his own jeans, stops mid-zip, his lips dropping into a small ‘o’. “Oh.” He chuckles. “My bad.” He looks at Blaine, wrists cuffed to the bars of the headboard, pulling with the weight of his body sliding down. “I forgot.” He retrieves the little silver key from the dresser and reaches over to undo the cuffs around Blaine’s wrists … then stops. Blaine, watching impatiently, frowns. Confused by Kurt’s reluctance, he shakes his right wrist, eager to be free of the cuffs digging into his skin.

“Come on, Kurt,” he says. “Make with the un-cuffing. I think my hands are falling asleep.”

Kurt slips the key into his pocket and puts his hands on his hips, re-evaluating Blaine and his situation.

“Hey, you know,” Kurt says, as if a sudden and previously un-pondered thought has just popped into his head. Actually, Kurt’s been thinking about it for a while now, storing it away amongst his arsenal of scenes for the right time. “I’m cleared to use your AmEx card, aren’t I? The one with no spending limit?”

“Yeah,” Blaine says, too quickly and without thinking. “Wh---?”

Kurt’s smile, all mock-innocence and Oh, I’m just asking, becomes dark and devious.

“You know, I’ve never been really kosher with a lot of the furniture in this room, to tell you the truth.”

“Kurt …” Blaine jiggles his cuffs as Kurt grabs the jeans that have slid down Blaine’s torso and starts searching the pockets.

“And these sheets …” Kurt toes them with his foot and makes a disapproving noise. “They’ve got to be at least as old as the bed. Tragic.”

“Kurt? What are you …?”

“Also, there’s a pair of shoes down at Bergdorf’s I’ve had my eye on,” Kurt continues, finding Blaine’s wallet with a triumphant a-ha! in his eyes. “I’ve been waiting for them to go on sale, but if I have your card, it doesn’t matter if they’re on sale or not.”

“Kurt!” Blaine yanks on the cuffs, testing to see if there’s any way he can snap them, or the bar they’re hooked on. If he and Kurt could level the whole bed fucking, then there’s a chance the frame is weak all over. This has to be, what, the hundredth time Kurt’s cuffed him to it? Blaine puts all his strength behind one long pull, groaning with the effort.

But it doesn’t work. Not even close.

“So I’m just going to take this.” Kurt slides the platinum AmEx card out of Blaine’s wallet, along with a healthy handful of hundreds, and throws the rest to the floor. Blaine’s eyes blow wide when he sees the stash of cash Kurt shoves into his pocket.

“Kurt! You little brat!” Blaine growls, tugging futilely at the silver cuffs with numb wrists. “I swear to God! If you …”

“If I what?” That question, and the swing of Kurt’s hips as he walks, shuts Blaine up. Blaine knows that walk. It means that Kurt is unamused. Kurt sashays up to the broken bed. He kneels carefully on the skewed mattress, staying nimbly out of kicking range as he leans over Blaine’s helpless body.

“Now, now, little piggy. Just sit tight,” Kurt whispers, lips brushing the perimeter of Blaine’s mouth with the suggestion of kisses. “While I’m out, I’m gonna buy something small and tight to wear …” He moves closer, bites gently on Blaine’s lower lip. “Something edible.” He swipes his tongue along the seam of his mouth. “And if you’re a good boy and stay nice and quiet while I’m gone, then you can tie me to the bed … and have a snack.”

Blaine doesn’t exactly kiss Kurt back when Kurt’s mouth starts claiming his, too occupied with the image of Kurt bound to a brand new bed, naked except for an expensive pair of shoes and some kind of edible undergarment, entirely at Blaine’s mercy.

“Stay safe and have fun,” Blaine says, shooing Kurt away with a gesture of his head. “I’ll see you in a few hours.”

[swan-archive]

Okay so I said I wasn’t gonna do this but I have been REINVORGATED and REJUCINATED by the Oak boot of “Dust and Ashes” so here you go, more rambling than you require about the cast recordings of Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812. Sorry, y’all.

Blease to keep in mind that these are all just, like, my opinions, man.

First off: not to be all I AM UNCOMFORTABLE WHEN WE ARE NOT ABOUT HAMILTON? but I really do wonder how many of my issues with Comet’s obcr can be traced back to Hamilton’s cast recording...

So, as we all know, Lin took pains to make Hamilton’s cast album sound as much like a hip-hop record as he could. This is there in the way the songs are composed and performed, and it’s very much there in the production—Questlove and Black Thought were co-producers on the album, along with Lin, Lac, and Bill Sherman.

Now, when I think of big-name modern rap and hip-hop records, I think high production value. At their best, you should be getting an incredibly well-crafted, slick, cohesive sound, vocals married to instrumentation and beats in a way that just works whether you’re listening track-by-track or to the whole album start to finish. And, most importantly, the work that goes into achieving that sound shouldn’t be audible. You should be able to listen to something like Lemonade or Coloring Book or My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy without getting tangled up in “oh, interesting eq going on there” or “what’s going on with that delay?” at first pass. Just let it be about the music.

This worked for Hamilton. It doesn’t work so well for Comet.

And, I mean, they tried. They worked very hard to polish things up, to make a Studio Album that stands by itself, bless ‘em, but honestly, I just wish they’d let the music speak for itself a bit more, just let it be a recording of a very good Broadway show. Because on Comet, that sort of tight-ship production value just reads as...overproduced. And it makes it a less enjoyable listening experience.

Now, music producers wear a hell of a lot of hats, so “overproduced” can mean a lot of different things. With this album, it takes the form of stuff sounding TOO clean, overpolished to the point of sounding artificial, and artificial is not a thing you want in a vocal sound in a genre based around showcasing, well, vocals. It’s mostly little things that I noticed, not anything that would ruin an album, but just things that might turn your head and make you go, “huh, that didn’t sound quite right.”

For example, I noticed a different treatment on certain phrase deliveries, exemplified by Grace McLean’s bit from “In My House” where she sings “Why didn’t he come to the house? / Why didn’t he openly ask for your hand?” as well as Amber Gray’s “Charmante, charmante” from (obviously) “Charming.” Both of these phrases end with a little descent that, on the ocr, sounds more like an interpretive/ornamental bit than anything; a sort of natural falling-off of the line that comes from an emotional rather than a technical place. On the obcr, both of these ornaments persist, but are “tidied up” for lack of a better phrase—both actors deliver them with significantly more weight, taking care to strike specific pitches. And it...well, in my opinion, it doesn’t work as well. It sounds like someone circled the bit in the music and went, “okay, let’s make those ornaments INTENTIONAL,” which removes the the charm of the unstudied voice and makes the part sound rehearsed.

At other times, they go too far in the opposite direction, pushing on the bounds of the written music in a way that simply doesn’t read on a recording like this one. I’m thinking in particular of Lucas Steele’s long notes at the beginning of “The Abduction” and at the end of “Pierre and Anatole.” Now, I’m not saying the album shouldn’t show off Steele’s vocal prowess; he’s an unbelievably talented singer, and he can do some Real Shit with his voice that is frankly terrifying and everyone should fear and respect him. What I AM saying is that a recording is a different format in which to hear those notes, as opposed to a live performance. When you’re there in the Imperial Theater, watching Steele sit on a C#5 for 45 consecutive seconds like it’s his fucking job (which...I guess it is), you can tell by dint of BEING THERE that there’s no artifice, just a skilled singer and his throat and his voice. And that’s part of the beauty of it, that you can watch it happen in real time and marvel at it. When you’re listening to a neat studio recording, on the other hand, there’s that level of abstraction, of knowing that between the note coming out and hitting your ears there’s been work done on it. And maybe Steele did actually hold it out that long in-studio (he probably did. The man isn’t human, I fucking swear), but you can’t know that. Cross-fades are a thing, and it is a fairly trivial task to knit together two long notes to make one biiiiiiiig long note, especially with a clear pure tone like Steele’s voice has. So it ends up sounding self-indulgent and gimmicky. Look how long we made this note. Such high. Very edits. Wow. Please clap. Lin got it when he said there’s some stuff that should stay unique and exclusive to the live performances, and these virtuoso showings definitely fall under that heading. Hint at ‘em on the recording, but their proper home is on the stage, in the theater.

(I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I AM UNCOMFORTABLE WHEN WE ARE NOT ABOUT HAMILTON!)

All that said: Comet has a very complex, group-oriented score, and everything I’ve been pointing out so far is fairly nitpicky. It’s subtle artistry stuff that will, by its nature, get lost when there is a lot going on, which there frequently is. Not to mention the score features long recitative-style sections, where the actors will deliberately use a more speech-like singing style to deliver exchanges between characters, quick exposition, etc. which does a lot to counter the “getting too technical and shoegazey” thing. People know what speech is meant to sound like! If you stray too far from that, you’ll undermine your listeners’ comprehension, as well as the whole uh...ACTING part of the PLAY. Which is important.

However, the whole play isn’t like this. You do have solo arias—broadly, major pauses in the action to expound on a single character’s emotional state. I’m thinking of three songs from Comet in particular: “Dust and Ashes,” “Sonya Alone,” and “No One Else,” standout showstopper numbers that are meant to drag the tears out of everyone in the audience. (Don’t worry, I love crying. It’s my favorite thing, next to dying and being dead.) Overall, these three songs are more delicately orchestrated, in order to showcase the unique voices of the soloists. Which would be great, if, you know, they’d managed to consistently mix the songs in a way that showcased the unique voices of the soloists! Fuck!

(“Charming” technically fits this mold as well. However, I would argue that it has more of a narrative action, i.e. showing Hélène’s beguilement of Natasha, not to mention that it is musically a very different song from any of the other ones I’ve listed above, faster-paced and with a more active accompaniment, which covers things that might otherwise give pause. Even so you can hear a few off-kilter things in it, as outlined above.)

“Dust and Ashes” (and to a lesser extent, “Pierre”) are difficult to compare between albums—obviously, because there’s no studio recording of the former (@DAVE! PLEASE SAVE MY LIFE), and because Dave Malloy and Josh Groban have such radically different voices. Let’s be very clear, I am not dunking on Groban’s prowess as a vocalist; there’s no question in my mind (and shouldn’t be any in yours) that, in terms of technical skill, he has a better voice than Dave in every way. To my ear, though, Groban’s recordings of Pierre’s songs sound almost unpleasantly slick, which I would guess is what you get when overproduced hypercleanliness meets vocal control that could knock an apple off someone’s head at forty paces without batting an eyelid. Especially next to the raw, almost painfully sincere delivery of Malloy’s versions, Groban’s sound sanitized, lacking in sincere emotion, just a string of notes with a vibrato as wide as a barn. It’s very disappointing, and makes me regret not watching the Groban boot all the way through for a better idea of how his Pierre comes across onstage.

“Sonya Alone,” luckily, manages to escape overproduction for several reasons. First off, it’s performed by Brittain Ashford on both albums, which presumably gave the production team a model for how to showcase her voice on the obcr. Secondly, the way the song was written and performed naturally resists this sort of treatment. It doesn’t have a virtuosic range—nearly the whole thing sits within less than an octave, and the one high belt note just kind of gets tapped briefly before settling back down. Hence, the emotional beats in it are a matter of performance, rather than technical prowess, and cleaning up too much of the natural wobble and waver of the voice in that range would make it sound absolutely lifeless and boring. Ashford also has that unusual, striking dark tone to her voice, which can already sound like an affectation to the first-time listener; placing too many effects on it would only exacerbate that. Hence, a reprieve. We get to enjoy Brittain Ashford’s voice showcased as it is. Nice.

Which leaves us with “No One Else.”

Oh, you guys.

You guys, I love “No One Else.” I think it is the second most perfect song Dave Malloy has ever written, only missing out on the top spot because he also wrote the ear worm from hell. It is PEAK F major aesthetic in every way. It is such a gorgeous, wistful, romantic piece, and couldn’t have hit more of my buttons even if Dave Malloy had literally come into my home and said, “hey, Swan, I’m trying to write a song that will knock you, specifically, on your ass, wanna give me some pointers so that I can more efficiently Kill you?” It is so good.

And this recording of it did Denée Benton SO. DIRTY.

Benton’s Natasha is necessarily a bit different than Phillipa Soo’s Natasha. Soo has a somewhat weightier voice than Benton, so her interpretation of the character seems to lean more on her vitality and spirit, whereas Benton reads as a very young Natasha, naïve but deeply good. (Margaux @likeniobe, I’m pretty sure it was you who pointed this out to me, thanks, you’re the real mvp.) I think both of these are perfectly valid character interpretations of Natasha as she appears in this adaptation, and based on what I’ve seen of the bootleg, Benton’s Natasha is lovely to watch onstage.

...However. The thing about that interpretation is that it requires a good bit of subtlety in order to come across as compelling and not saccharine. This reads onstage, but on this recording, very sadly, it kind of flops. Again, this strikes me as the fault of hewing too close to the written music, and ironing out too many of the natural kinks in a voice. Benton performs this song very delicately, with a light touch regarding theatricality; when overworked, this gives it an almost Disney princess-y feel, all fluff, no substance. It’s not as moving, it simply doesn’t do justice to Benton’s interpretation, and I’m mad about it.

There are also some technical...I wouldn’t call them errors, I guess, but interpretive things in this recording that just seem like sloppy mixing. The first one comes right on Benton’s first line, that beautiful fifth leap that sets up the airy space of the song as a whole. There’s reverb on her voice to mimic the atmosphere of hearing the song in a theater, but for some reason they don’t even give it time to fully die away before launching her into the first verse, and as a result she sounds rushed. This could work with a different vocal interpretation, but Benton performs the opening of this song with a very dreamy, mysterious approach (contrast Soo, who takes it more stridently), so it just comes off as sloppy and badly-paced.

Then, at the end of the song (and bear with me, folks, I’m about to get VERY nitpicky), Benton sings that wonderful ascending “you and I / you and I / you and I,” showing off her higher range and building suspense before the surprisingly tender and introspective ending of the song. Since she is singing high notes, an engineer mixing the song would most likely apply some compression to her voice to keep it sitting in the appropriate place in the mix, and to prevent the signal from clipping. I’m not gonna get into a super in-depth discussion of compression here, but in short it’s an effect that reduces the dynamic range (“loudness”) of a signal when it passes a designated threshold frequency, thus allowing you to get a more consistent dynamic range throughout, so your pianos aren’t inaudible and your fortes aren’t blowing out your speakers.

...It’s more complicated than that. Whatever. Don’t @ me.

Anyway, the way what I assume is compression has been applied to Benton’s vocal here sounds VERY sloppy in comparison to how Soo’s was treated on the ocr. A cool thing about many types of compressors is that you can control exactly how fast the compression kicks in, smoothing out the level changes so that you don’t have a track that’s pulsating wildly in dynamic range. Here, as Benton reaches each held note, her vocal ducks audibly before coming back up. This effect is audible in Soo’s recording of the song, but it’s MUCH more subtle and naturalistic, serving a technical purpose without distracting from the artistry of the song. So...either this was some very spotty compression work, or like, the engineer just went into the volume for her track and manually ducked it and brought it back up? I don’t know, but whatever it was, I don’t like it.

Now, in the end, Dave Malloy signed off on this album, and as long as he’s happy with it, that’s all that really matters. As an engineer, you’re (for the most part) there to bring your client’s vision to life, and if they like the product you put in front of them at the end of the day, then you’ve done your job. And there’s a huge chance that I’m just being all IT’S DIFFERENT SO IT SUCKS, given that I’m very sensitive to small differences in versions of a song.

But still. Still.

Denée, sweetie, you deserved better than this.

[rndyounghowze]

Titanic by Broadway Theatre of Pitman in Pitman New Jersey

Titanic, 1997’s Tony Award winner for best musical that features music and lyrics by Maury Yeston and book and lyrics by Peter Stone calls Broadway Theatre of Pitman its port of call until the 30th. Off we go on a journey throughout the fated ship from the lower decks where the Irish third class resides to the upper decks where the upper class rub elbows in luxury. Director John Stephan takes us back to the fateful voyage of 1912 in a truly touching performance.

Pictured: The Cast of "Titanic the Musical" performing "Finale".

Photo Courtesy of: John Stephan

This musical tells the story of all the reasons that passengers boarded the Titanic for her doomed maiden voyage. Some like Bruce Ismay, Thomas Andrews, and Captain Smith (Dave Gold, Steve McMahon, and Paul Weagraff) boarded for hubris as the men who could say they owned, built, and mastered her. Some like stoker Frederick Barrett and radioman Harold Bride (Andy Boettcher and DJ Hedgepath) came because working on this ship was to become their bread and butter.

Several more individuals and families boarded this ship to continue a life of luxury in first class, catch a glimpse of a life they never had in second class, or find a new life in America in third class. First class passengers were captains of industry whose names we may still know today such as the Astors (played by Jim Ludovici and Kate Hughes), Strauss (played by Nick Saverine and Margaret Hill) and Guggenheim (Michael Schmidt). Second class passengers were couples like Edgar and Alice Beane (played by Tad Levine and Kristin Titus) who wanted to see a glimpse and a luxurious life that they could never hope to get. In third class you had three “Kates” (played by Jenna Kuerzi, Mia Massaro, and Katie Hughes) and Jim Farrell who have been longing for a better life with jobs in America.

Each passenger came on board for a different reason and at a different station but soon found themselves in the same situation as the iceberg struck. The mammoth block of ice formed by the elements soon became the great equalizer. This musical also endeavors to show you what's left after the carnage is over.

The cast that made up the passenger manifest of this wonderful show were some of the most professional and talented actors I have ever met. I was awed by their skill and range as many of them took on two or more roles. If I was writing a novel and not a review I would love to stop and tell you about all these wonderful actors. I will, however, only talk about some of the ones that caught my eye the most. You'll have to come out to see the rest and pick out your favorites.

Steve McMahon as Andrews didn't stand out to me at first until I heard him sing. He has a set of pipes that shook the rafters. You'll hear him best in songs like “Blame” and “Andrew’s Vision”. He plays that calculating kind of man that is still running numbers and figures in his head even until the last. I found his acting effective but his singing was truly powerful.

Dave Gold as Ismay had the hard job of taking a proud and manipulative man and turning him into a human being I could relate to. His presence took up the stage almost as well as his character’s ego.

Andy Boettcher as Barrett took us through a journey as a man that seems as hard and dark as the coal he shovels but also has a soft heart and a love for a girl back home. You can hear him best in the song “Proposal” where you can hear that soft side come out.

DJ Hedgepath as Harold Bride gave us a man who keeps his ear to the ground and head in the radio waves but also has kind soul. What I loved most about Hedgepath’s performance was that when he changed roles to play Mr. Thayer I never really noticed it was him. I think one of the best compliments you could give an actor was that you never noticed when they switched characters because their skill was that good.

Kristin Titus as Alice Beane gave us a woman desperate for the finer things in life and always ready to graze on the latest gossip. She was almost the unofficial glue that held the story together and I think she rose to the occasion splendidly.

Mia Massaro as Kate McGowan showed us a woman who knows what she wants. Her singing was amazing in “Lady’s Maid” and you can feel a sense of raw human energy behind her performance. She's definitely one of the characters I connected to the most.

Direction and choreography by John Stephan was masterful weaving singing and dancing and drama in a seamless work of art. It's very rare to see a show like this where all the moving pieces and sheer weight of humanity onstage don't cause some longer runtimes due to scene changes and people getting on and off stage. Not in this show. I love it when directors don't go for flash but focus on the gripping human elements of a show and this is exactly what he did.

My favorite moments were the great company scenes where passengers were flitting about and chaos ensued. You see this in the grand energy of “The Launching” in the first act where all the passengers are boarding and you can just feel the excitement. You also see this in numbers like “The Hymn” and “Doing the Latest Rag” where I could feel an energy coming off the cast. I felt that these people were families and people with hopes and dreams.

I also felt that the scenes at the lifeboats were very gripping as wives, children, and husbands were ripped apart. The chaos being a mirror image to the grandeur in the first act left me with tears in my eyes.

Some scenes had elements that didn't work as well. In “What a Remarkable Age This Is!” I perceived just a slight drop in energy and was a bit perplexed at the decision to place some actors at the table facing away from the audience where their lines were somewhat lost.

I also would say that I loved the heightened and frantic energy at the end of Act one so much that I didn't need the foam rubber chunks of “ice” at the end. I totally felt the energy and could feel everything coming to a crashing halt on it's own through superb acting and haunting music. The prop ice, having no weight to it, pulled me out of the moment. If they were to ever do this show again I’d hope that they know that their talent was far more powerful than any fake iceberg they can make.

I also saw a drop in energy in “The Staircase” and “The Blame”. However I'm sure this can be blamed on a Sunday matinee doldrums and not the cast. The minute the pace picked up for the rest of the act I saw no more problems.

Stephan is one of those directors that can take an extraordinary cast, talented musicians, and a skilled crew and use them to their best abilities. I'm never disappointed and sure wasn't by this show.

Music direction by Jack Hill used an eleven piece orchestra as a time machine to put us back in the days before the roaring twenties when the 1800’s were just a vivid memory and the rest of the century was a gleam in people's eyes. Through musical numbers throughout “The Launching” I could feel the sea come alive. By the end of Act one I felt the pace quicken and a musical “crash” more powerful than an iceberg.

But the music could also get sweet and mellow like in “The Proposal” and “The Night was Alive” and “Lady’s Maid” where you could hear hopes and dreams in melodic form.

Also kudos to the orchestra for playing even through a thick layer of stage fog. Even in a musical about the Titanic you can say “the band played on”.

Set design by John D. Smitherman was minimal but powerful. With just a platform, stairs, and a cockpit he was able to convey the grandeur of the ship. Even better in Act Two he was able to find a way for the entire platform to tip slightly to give us the feeling of chaos as the ship sank. It was just the right touch that was needed to give us the sense of danger.

Costume design by Beth Hillebrecht also took us back in time with period accurate costumes. My favorites were the uniforms of the crew and the tattered clothes of the third class passengers. The attention to detail brought us into the world very well.

Kudos to lighting designer Shawn McGovern who not only gave us a “wet look” through lighting patterns and colors but used spotlights to drive focus where it was needed.

Kudos to sound design by Chris Schenk that was done so well you almost didn't notice it. Sound is such an important part of a show and it is usually only mentioned when technical difficulties arise. I wanted to mention it here because even though there was some mic level issues I never heard a design that was more seamless in execution. If this is how they are when there are mic problems I know that he must be a Rembrandt of sound with everything going well.

I do wish, however, that there was some element or hint of water in the set design, props ,or costumes that was incorporated more just to give us a sense of the sea around us. I didn't need the entire set to be lowered into a tank of water or actors to be literally swimming but wet clothes or buckets of water being baled or something could have helped tie in the whole elements that the music and the lighting design were trying to convey.

The Titanic has a larger place in history than it ever did on the sea. That is because the stories of it's passengers, dreams planned, fortune and family lost, and works of man foundered create a legacy far more mammoth than the iceberg that sank the “world’s fastest moving object”. It's that legacy that still draws us into the theater to hear the story. Please if you have a chance run to the Broadway Theatre of Pitman before this show sails away again.

 Titanic opened on July 7 and runs through July 30 at the Broadway Theatre of Pitman. You can buy tickets online.

[caleb-p-lo]

Character Development

So I decided to do a thing. (This was meant to be done a while ago. But school, work, and doctors appointments have been making my life a relay race.)

BASICS AND APPEARANCE:

Age? 23 Date of Birth? May 8th 1994 Hair color? Blonde Eye color? Blue Skin color/ethnicity/nationality? White; Hispanic & Dutch; American (3rd generation on both sides) Accent (if any)? He grew up in Ohio, so he has a pretty neutral American accent for the most part. But living in New York, he’s picked up a few little things here and there. Height? 6′1″ Weight? 175 lbs last he checked Tattoos? None (Yet) Piercings? None Birthmarks? A heart shaped birthmark on his right hip. Disfigurements? None Scars? He has a line about 3 inches long on the outside of his left leg, on the shin. Do they have any nicknames? Where did they come from?

Cal - shortened version of his name.

C - super shortened version of his name.

Brother Bear - his sisters call him this when he gets overprotective

Babe, Baby, Handsome, etc. (There are literally so many it’s ridiculous) - pet names given to him by Izzy.

Mijo, Baby Boy, Ducky - nicknames given to him by his moms Brittany and Santana.

P-Lo Shortened version of his last name.

How do they usually dress? What do they wear to sleep? Do they wear jewelry? - How he dresses will change depending on where he is and what he’s doing.

Just hanging around? He’s probably in jeans and a tshirt.

Going out somewhere nice? He’s a master at the semi-formal look.

Sleeping? Sweatpants and a t-shirt when it’s cold; Shorts and a tank or shirtless when it’s hot.

He doesn’t own a whole lot of jewelry. He has a couple of watches that he rotates in and out. And a few necklaces and bracelets.

Is there anything about their appearance they wish they could change? - Cal’s body has gone through a lot of changes over the years. Going from constantly playing sports and training even on the off-season, to not playing any sports at all, changes a person’s body. And at first those changes were a little strange. But after 5 years, Cal’s settled in and he feels good in his own skin. So he wouldn’t change anything about himself right now. He’s healthy and happy, and he still likes how he looks with his shirt off, so he’s good.

How would they look as the opposite sex? - As the opposite sex Caleb would probably look something like Blake Lively or Eliza Taylor.

What do they smell like? Why (do they wear the scent or does it occur naturally)? - Caleb doesn’t wear cologne usually, so most of the time he smells like the laundry detergent from his clothes and his shampoo & conditioner. He only wears cologne on certain occasions and it will be something like Davidoff’s Cool Water or The Art of Shaving’s Vetiver Citron.

Do they have an accurate mental picture of their appearance (how they see themselves versus how the world sees them)? - Cal knows he’s good looking. But he’ll never understand the attention it brings him.

LOCATION: Where does your character live? Why did they choose it, and how did they acquire it? How do they handle intruders (graciously? violently?)? Describe the space. - Cal lives in a 2 bedroom spacious loft in Manhattan, NY. It used to be a loft shared by Kurt and Santana in their younger days when they were both kicking off their performing careers. The property still belongs to their parents but when Calebella decided to move to NY, Kurt insisted they live in the loft so he knew his daughter and granddaughter would be well taken care of. The only stipulation was, so they didn’t feel completely dependent on their parents, they would pay rent and all of their own bills. Thankfully they’ve yet to have any intruders pay them a visit. But if they were to, Caleb would definitely have a more violent reaction. His home is meant to be a safe space for his family and anyone who violates that will answer to him.

PREFERENCES: Favorite color? - Blue

Favorite music artists? Movies or TV shows? Books or authors? Actors? -

Music Artists: Too many to pick one. 

Tv Shows: Law & Order SVU, Orphan Black, and currently, Sense 8. 

Movies: Hercules and Aladdin (The Disney versions), the Dark Knight, and Kill Bill Vol. 1 & 2.

Books: Peter Pan 

Authors: Rick Riordan and Robert Ludlum. 

Actors: Angelina Jolie, Rosario Dawson, Tatiana Maslany, Will Smith, and Harrison Ford.

Favorite animal? – Tigers & Dogs

What is their favorite time of day? Favorite weather? Season? -

Time of day: Evening. He enjoys having nights that are just down-time. Nights spent lounging around the house with his family are the best.

Weather: Sunny but with a small breeze so it’s not too hot.

Season: Autumn

Favorite food? Favorite drink? Hot drinks, soft drinks, or alcohol? -

Food: Mofongo Relleno de Churrasco (Fried Plantain stuffed with shredded beef)

Drink: Lemonade (Cold); Hot Chocolate (Hot); Whiskey Sour or Daiquiri (Alcoholic)

Political stance? Are they active in politics or do they not care? – For so many obvious reasons, Caleb is very very liberal. And given the recent political climate, he’s more active in social-justice and political movements than he’s ever been.

What are some of their pet peeves? – Coughing/Sneezing without covering your mouth; Blowing your nose at the dinner table; People having loud phone conversations in enclosed public spaces; People who try to judge him and his family.

What sort of gifts do they like? – He prefers sentimental gifts. They don’t have to be big or cost a lot, but things that someone put a lot of thought into mean the most.

Where do they like to spend their time? – Caleb spends most of his time back and forth between work (whether that be the show or the dance classes he teaches) and home. But on his down time you can find him training at the Dojo, or browsing the aisles in Barnes and Noble.

Do they have any pets? Do they want any? – No he doesn’t have any pets right now. But he’s definitely a dog person so he’d like one someday.

What relaxes them? – Music, Family (usually), Reading.

Do they have any bad habits? – Not really a bad habit but probably annoying, he taps on things when his mind is unoccupied. His main bad habit is holding in things when they bother him instead of talking about them.

HOBBIES: What are some of your character’s hobbies? What do they do with their time? - Not one to be idle, he’s always up to something. He teaches some hip-hop and Latin ballroom classes at a dance school not too far from their home maybe once or twice a month. His Martial Arts instructors from Lima helped him find Dojos where he could continue training. He can also be found fiddling with one of his instruments. And on a slow or rainy day, he’s probably reading in a corner somewhere.

ABILITIES: Where did they learn their abilities? –

Dance: Cal’s been mimicking his Momma’s dance moves since he could stand on his own two feet. But soon as she thought he could handle it, she enrolled him for classes at her dance school.

Singing: Santana was always singing around the house, so it was only a matter of time before their home became a live in sing-a-long. And as he grew, Caleb never grew out of it. Stage fright and Insecurity about his voice were grown out of with coaching and lots of practice.

Instruments: Self-Taught via YouTube University (with the exception of Guitar, which he actually learned from his Abuelo.)

MMA: He’s been taking Martial Arts since age eight starting with Muay Thai.

Sports: Aside from MMA, Caleb played Baseball in middle school and Football in high school. Football was his favorite between the two and under the tutelage of Coach Puckerman (Or Uncle Puck, as he knew him off the field), he got to be pretty good.

OTHER CAPABILITIES: How are they with technology? - Caleb is pretty handy with technology. He knows his way around most of the electronic devices he uses. He’s probably the one in a million who actually reads the instruction manual that comes with things.

Are they specially qualified in any particular field? Would they be considered at the top of the field? - Especially qualified? Probably not. He’s good at a lot of things but he wouldn’t say he’s at the top of those fields.

Have they ever been publicly acknowledged for anything? (Ex. Nobel Prize) - Not outside of high school.

Is there anything they’ve deliberately sought to improve at? - Caleb is always trying to hone his skills. And right now he’s focused on improving his acting abilities. He sometimes feels like he cheated his way into his profession somehow, having not been classically trained, but he’s working on it.

Do they speak more than one language? - Yes, Caleb is fluent in 3 languages. English, Spanish (he learned these both at the same time growing up), and French. He’s also got a decent conversational grasp of Italian but he wouldn’t call himself fluent.

RESOURCES: Why do they have their resources? How long have they had them, and how have they served the character over time? (Ex. Contacts, money, political power, fame, etc.) – Caleb was born into a fairly wealthy family, and his last name became something of a power in itself in the right environment. While that could be a good thing, it also made him very careful not to lean too hard on those things. Things like contacts and money were almost always in Caleb’s back pocket, but he more often than not chose not to use them. He preferred to get by on what he brought to the table rather than what was already given to him.

If they have an income, where does it come from? – Currently his income comes from performing as Gabe in the soon-to-Broadway production of Next to Normal. 

Do they have a job? Do they like it? How do they feel about their co-workers? - Yes. (See above.) He loves it. It’s everything he wanted to be doing. It’s an original show and everything about it is amazing. His co-stars are fantastic people. He’s the baby of the cast and he’s found great mentors in his co-stars. They all have far more experience on stage than he does, but they don’t look down on him for it. They are very encouraging and recognize his work ethic and ability over his last name and associations (Kurt is included in associations of course) which he appreciates.

STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES: What are some of your character’s more notable merits and flaws (including physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, etc.)? How did they develop? How has this helped or hindered them in the past?

Merits - Caleb puts the needs of his loved ones before his own needs in most situations. He’s the type of guy that will make sure you’re taken care of before worrying about himself. And when you’re struggling, he’s doing everything and anything he can to try and help. He wants to be the person you know you can call in a hard time. This comes from watching how his moms and grandparents are with their family. They’re always making sure everybody they care about is okay and Cal always found it comforting. He wanted to be that for his loved ones too. This can be seen as a flaw by some people. He’s been called a martyr before. But it doesn’t matter to him because he knows that no matter what, the people he loves most in this world know that he’s always there for them. No matter what.                Caleb also tries very hard to not come across as judgemental, and he thinks he succeeds pretty well. He wants people to feel free to be themselves around him, whoever that may be, and be completely comfortable. This again came from his family, but it also came from his personal experiences. He’s been bullied before for other people’s lack of understanding.                Cal is one of the most loving people you could ever meet. He has a big heart and he's always trying to make people around him feel appreciated and irreplaceable.

Flaws - He has quite a temper and when you’re on the receiving end, it’s not a fun experience. His anger doesn’t play favorites and unfortunately he’s a master at hitting where it hurts. So if he’s not careful, what would otherwise be a simple argument could turn into a fight to end a relationship. The running joke is he gets said temper from Santana, who everyone knows has a whip for a tongue. But he’d rather keep his contained. In the past, Cal has almost lost friends and loved ones because of his temper. A lot of people have a hard time dealing with the levels he can take things to and he completely understands why.             He’s also not the best at dealing with things that upset him or make him insecure. It’s easier for him to pretend something doesn’t exist than to deal with the negative emotions surrounding it. This makes him pretty hard to decipher when he’s hurting, and even harder to help.             Combine the two, and it makes for a sticky situation when you’re on his bad side. He can go from real emotional to feeling nothing at all, on command. And when you’re not ready for it, that quick 180 can be a little devastating.

RELATIONSHIPS AND HISTORY: What is their family history like? How does it affect them? How do they feel about their family? How does their family feel about them?

          Caleb has always known since he was small that his family was different than how most people would define one. He didn’t have a mommy and daddy like many of his friends, but he was never ashamed of that. He was always proud to have two moms and he never let anyone take that from him. He knew that growing up with two moms was going to have its struggles. People would look down on him and them, they’d laugh, they’d tease him, but it just rolled right off of his shoulders. He would always just say they were just jealous, because there was more love in their household in a day, than most of those people would experience in a lifetime. Cal was extremely proud to be his mothers’ son. They were amazing women, and they did so much for not only their loved ones, but their communities.

          But Cal’s family life did impact him in a way he wasn’t expecting. Caleb is bi-racial; one half Hispanic, the other half White. And inside the P-Lo home it obviously wasn’t an issue. Inside their home, Cal and his sisters were always surrounded by their culture. They even grew up speaking Spanish as their second language. But the kids quickly found out that once they were outside of their home, it was a lot harder to feel connected to that culture. Caleb took this lesson really hard as the years passed. Even now, Caleb finds it difficult to relate and in certain situations it does take a toll on him. But for now, as always, he pushes these things down and tries to focus on positives instead.

          Caleb’s family loves him so very much. They are so proud of who he is and what he’s been able to accomplish. Although they are all scattered across the country sometimes, they are all as close as ever. His mothers still love to call and harass him as often as they have the chance (especially with all the wedding planning things they want to “help” with). And he is always in contact with at least one of his sisters throughout the course of his days.

CHILDHOOD: What were they like as a child? What was their favorite toy? Favorite game? - Caleb was kind of hyperactive as kid. He was always running around and climbing or jumping off of things. It made his moms pretty nervous when he was small. He also had a bit of a knack for finding trouble. In his early elementary school days, both his parents and school counselors were concerned because Caleb kept getting into fights with classmates. They were concerned that as he grew the fights would turn more physical than they already had, and they believed he needed extra attention to turn that behavior into something more productive. Hence, contact sports became Caleb’s new extracurricular activities.                As a kid his favorite toy was probably his little plastic lightsaber that he would swear was real. He would clip it to his waistband and be off on his adventures. Actually there was a time period of about a year or so where he wouldn’t go anywhere without it. His reasoning? A Jedi can never be caught without his lightsaber. He wanted to be a Jedi so bad. He’s actually still waiting for his force abilities to kick in.               Caleb used to love to play pretend when he was a kid. He would spend hours in an imaginary world having some crazy adventures. He would draw inspiration from movies and tv shows some days. And other days his mind would spin a brand new adventure of its own. His favorite adventures were the ones he could convince his sisters and his friends to join him on. Because as much fun as he had playing pretend by himself, it always made it a little extra special when there was another leading character in the story of the day.

Playmates? - Caleb spent a lot of time around the Hummel-Anderson girls when he was very small and they’ve been close since practically birth. When the P-Los moved back to Lima, he found quick best friends in Janey Puckerman and Lucky Morales. And after some convincing from his sister, Jason Puckerman eventually came around and found a friend in Cal too.

MEMORIES: Describe their best and worst memories from childhood: Best - Caleb spent a lot of time with his grandparents when the family moved back to Lima and he loved it. But there’s one memory in particular that always brings him joy. It was a time when Santana had a meeting to attend to in Los Angeles and Brittany was going to take the trip with her. It was only for the weekend but naturally they needed someone to watch the kids. They ended up staying the weekend at Abuelo and Abuela’s house and it was great. At one point in the weekend, the kids had the idea to build a fort in the living room. They were sure their grandparents wouldn’t allow it, but to their surprise, they even helped. Abuelo had started stacking chairs and side tables to make a high ceiling, and Abuela had grabbed all the pillows and blankets they could find. When it was all done, they had stayed in there the whole night having a movie marathon and the kids all woke up still in the fort, the next morning. The fort stayed up the whole weekend. That’s actually where Brittany and Santana found the kids (and Abuelo) when they came to pick them up Monday morning. From that moment on, every time the kids came to visit, they would beg to build more forts. And they only got crazier each time.

Worst - One of Cal’s worst memories was a confrontation that had happened when he was 11 The P-Los were out to dinner and some guy had came up to their family screaming at the top of his lungs. He had seen Brittany and Santana kissing and decided he needed to tell them (and the rest of the neighborhood apparently) how disgusting he found them and their “disgrace to wholesome traditional families”. He threw around a lot of words that Caleb didn’t really understand like “Abomination” and “Damnation” and some other words that he eventually learned to despise. Santana had absolutely lost it on the guy and if it weren’t for Brittany reminding her that their kids were present, she might’ve gone to jail that night for what she later said she’d been planning to do to the man. But the worst part was when the guy had gone so far as to start telling the kids that they weren’t really a family; he’d told them that they probably weren’t even related. There was a lot more that had been said that night but at some point Caleb had to tune it out because his sisters and Brittany were already crying, he didn’t want to cry too. For a couple of weeks afterwards, Cal was very distant from both family and friends and it took a while for him to open up to his moms about what that night made him feel.

WHERE IS HOME?: Where (and when) did they grow up? How did they view it as a child, and did that change as they matured? How do they feel about the place now? - Cal grew up in Lima, Ohio. As a kid he always thought it was an okay place to be. He liked it because all of his friends and his moms’ friends were here with them too but sometimes it was just a little too small (and small minded) for him. As he grew older, he realized more and more that Lima was only the product of the people who lived there. And not all of them were bad. It was still a kind of conservative place to live, but not nearly as bad as the Lima his parents had grown up in. The people were still quick to gossip and judge, but their kids were learning more about tolerance and cooperation (mostly anyway). Now, when Caleb thinks about Lima, he thinks about how it will always be a home to him. It was the place that watched him grow up; where he found a new kind of family in his best friends; where he fell in love; where he learned the lessons that would mold him into the man he is today. And maybe when he thought of it that way, it wasn’t so bad after all.

MENTORS & EDUCATION: Do they, or have they in the past, had a mentor? - Caleb had mentors in his parents, his grandparents, and even his “aunts and uncles”. But outside of them, Caleb had one mentor in particular that really helped him shape up. His Martial Arts Instructor, Cesar.

What was their relationship with this person, and how has it changed since then? - Caleb was brought to Cesar when he started having trouble in school with fighting and keeping his temper controlled. His grandfather and Cesar served in the military together back in their day and had been long time friends. So when Caleb was brought in, no time was wasted in getting his training started. But all the years he spent training, taught Caleb more than just how and where to throw a punch. As corny as it sounds, one of the most important lessons Caleb learned was how to walk away from a fight. He was taught self-control, patience, and that not every conflict needed to end with someone on the floor. It was this lesson in particular that was most important to keeping little Cal out of trouble. And if he’d never learned it, he might have been a completely different person today.

          Cesar was always a strict but determined instructor. He made sure that all of his students were pushed to their fullest potential and Caleb was no exception. Now even though they no longer train together, they keep in touch through both social media and their shared connections. And when they end up back in the same town for a few days or so, Cesar is always ready to remind Caleb of his teachings.

What sort of education have they had? Do they want more? - Caleb graduated high school with honors. But he never necessarily wanted to go to college. He tried going to school with online courses for a little while but ultimately realized it wasn’t going anywhere. He was just wasting money on classes to fill requirements for a degree he wasn’t even sure he wanted. Not to mention the time schoolwork was taking out of his already packed schedule.

FRIENDS AND ENEMIES: Who is their closest friend, and why? What do they like to do with this person? - Caleb keeps a tight circle. He doesn't have a lot of close friends but the ones he does have are basically family. His closest friends are Janey and Lucky. Back when they all lived on the same side of the country, it was a lot easier to hang out together.

                  When Caleb and Lucky spent time together, it was always about distractions. There were parties to go to (there were a lot of them), sports to play, and pranks to pull. With Lucky, there was never enough time for Cal to sit down and be upset by whatever was getting him down that time. And even when there was nothing wrong, it was still a ton of fun. But now that they’ve both grown up a bit, they’ve calmed down. They’re still a couple of fools, but they’re a little more stationary nowadays.

                  Janey and Caleb have a completely different relationship. Janey had always been the person Cal would go to for heartfelt (also, usually good) advice, and emotional support. This meant quite a few heart-to-hearts during their excursions. Add in their similar thought processes and this meant a whole lot of geeking out too, sometimes a bit of existentialism thrown in for good measure. Oh, and food! Lots and lots of food. When those two got together, no diner or burger place within a 50 mile radius was safe

Do they have any rivals? Who and why? - Ohhh yes. There is definitely a rival in Caleb’s life. Although in recent years, it’s calmed down for the most part. Marc Vallieri and Caleb never got along. From the day they met, they were almost always on opposite sides of every line. And as they grew, it only got worse. Add in some pretty strong feelings for one Ms. Isabella Humderson, on both of their parts, and it was a recipe for disaster. Caleb tried to be civil while Izzy and Marc were together, but he also tried to not be around so it was a tricky situation. Then when they broke up, all bets were off. It got a little confusing during the on- and-off period but for the most part, Cal just tried to keep his distance. This was working out just fine until it started looking like Cal was finally going to get his chance with the girl he’d been crushing on since middle school. Marc didn’t like that. There were a lot of digs, a lot of jokes, and a whole lot of almost fights between the two boys. It even turned into an all out brawl at one point. (McKinley wasn’t ready for that one, but ask me about that later.) But eventually it turned into more of a stalemate when Caleb came to grips with Marc always being in Izzy and Noah’s lives; and when Marc realized that Caleb was a fixed feature in the family he could’ve had. Now they’re civil, for real this time, and both trying to make it work for the woman and little girl they share love for.

Have they ever been betrayed? By who, and how did it affect them? - The only time Caleb was ever really “betrayed” by someone was when his girlfriend junior year cheated on him. They’d only been dating a few months and it wasn’t a particularly serious relationship. Looking back on it, Caleb only regrets the time he wasted trying to fill a space with someone who wasn’t worth it. But her betrayal didn’t sting too bad in the long run. At first it messed with his head a little bit in terms of feelings of inadequacy. But his friends and family were quick to snap him out of that mindset. After that, though, all it did was make him more careful about who he spent energy on and who he brought into his life.

SEX AND ROMANCE: What is their sexual orientation? Do they ever question it? - Caleb grew up understanding that sexuality can be a fluid thing. It wasn’t something he ever questioned or actively explored, but his mind was always open to the possibility of having feelings for anyone regardless of sex or gender. But at 23 years old, he’s yet to feel any kind of serious attraction or romantic feelings for a man. And since he's about to marry the actual love of his life, it's probably a safe bet that he never will. So if you ask him, Caleb will tell you he's straight.

When did they lose their virginity? Who to? Where? What was it like? - Caleb lost his virginity during spring break of his sophomore year, to his girlfriend at the time. They were at her house and her mom had gone out for the day with her little brother. It was a little awkward as one could expect, being it was the first time for both of them. But all in all it wasn't a bad experience.

What is their favorite sexual fantasy? - Listen, cheerleaders are everyone’s thing. But when your fiancée actually used to be one, it just makes things a little more fun. And yes he knows it’s very cliché.

Do they have any particular fetishes or kinks? - Caleb doesn’t mind a little power struggle every now and again. He also gets a kick out of walking around with any marks Izzy’s given him, exposed. (Bites, Hickeys, Scratches)

What’s the strangest thing they’ve ever done in bed? - Well not strange in general but strange to Caleb. He had a headache one day and Lucky thought it’d be hilarious to slip him a little blue pill instead of the painkiller he’d been asking for. But joke was on Lucky cause as it turns out, medicine isn’t the only way to get rid of a pounding headache.

Is there anything in particular that they won’t do? - Anything involving degradation. He ain’t about it.

What are they attracted to in a partner? - Confidence. And he’s gotta admit, he likes a little fight.

RELATIONSHIPS PAST AND PRESENT: If applicable: Who is their current partner, and what attracted the character to them? - Isabella Hummel-Anderson is his fiancée . And he was initially attracted to her personality. He really just enjoyed the way being around her felt.

How did they meet? - They’ve known each other almost literally since birth. Their parents were close friends for years so naturally, since they were so close (geographically and personally) it was pretty much guaranteed that they’d be spending quite a bit of time together as kids.

How long have they been together? - Since October of 2011 so...5 years going on 6.

What kind of a relationship is it? - The two of them couldn’t find better matches in this world if they were given a millennium to search. If soulmates exist, they are definitely each other’s.

Do they have any plans for the future? - Broad future? Get hitched, raise a family, live happily ever after. Near future? Get through the wedding without killing somebody.

What would be their perfect date? - They’re disgustingly adorable so pretty much anything that involves them spending quality alone time together. But their perfect date night involves nothing but Disney movies, snacks, and cuddles. Also singing at the top of their lungs for all of their neighbors to hear.

Describe one of the character’s past relationships and what was significant about it. - Caleb’s only ever been in one other relationship that actually meant a lot to him. He started dating Alisa Souza their sophomore year. She was an army brat who’d moved to Lima the year before, from Jacksonville, North Carolina. Her and Caleb shared some classes and they became really fast friends. It took them a while to start dating, but when they did, popular consensus was that they were the perfect couple. Their relationship was definitely important to Caleb because it was the first relationship he’d been in where he felt like it was okay to be himself. Every other time he’d tried to date, he always felt like he was meant to play a part. It was also the first time he genuinely thought he could move past his feelings for Isabella. This relationship became Caleb’s basis of comparison for the rest of his relationships up until he started dating Izzy. He learned to take note of different things that could make or (more likely) break a relationship for him; How comfortable he was with the person; How deep (or not) the connection really went; How valued he felt by the other person. The relationship ended because Alisa’s family moved away again, the summer after their Sophomore year. It hurt them both pretty bad, but they managed to stay friends until they eventually just drifted and lost contact.

Have they ever hurt someone they loved? - Unfortunately Caleb has. He wishes he could say he never meant to, but he’d be lying. Again, that temper of his does not play nice.

Do they fall in love easily? - Depends on who you ask. He’d say no, absolutely not. But others would say we’ll never know for sure because he’s been in love with one special someone for as long as anybody can or chooses to remember.

FUTURE: What are their dreams? What do they want to do someday? - Caleb always dreamed of being an entertainer. And he loves being able to do so in his current career. But he wants to expand his skill set and see what the film and tv industry has to offer. He’s actually already started trying, going on auditions here and there for small tv roles. But he loves the theatre so he has no intention of leaving it at this moment in time.

Are there places they want to go? Where and why? - Hawaii, Australia, Greece. Why? Cause he’s been told they’re beautiful places to be.

If these don’t apply already: Do they want to get married? - Again, engaged. Yes.

Have kids? - Already has a daughter, Noah.

Would they ever consider adopting a child? Why or why not? - Absolutely. Every child deserves love and to feel like they’re wanted. If he and Izzy can bring a child into their life and give them that, that’d be a beautiful thing for everyone involved.

HEROES AND OLD AGE: Who do they want to meet? - If Cal ever got the chance to meet Mark Hamill or Harrison Ford, he’d probably lose his shit. But it would be the best thing ever.

What about them is heroic? - Caleb’s willing to do whatever he has to do for his friends and family. He would bend over backwards to help them or protect them.

What would the character be like in their old age? - When Caleb’s an old man he’ll be that Grandpa that acts more like a kid than a grown up. His kids will be responsible for making sure he doesn’t run off to get into trouble. And if he manages to sneak away, he’ll be sure to sneak any little ones off with him. He’ll probably also be flirting with his wife like they’re teenagers all over again. It will make the kids cringe, the grandkids laugh, and the rest of the population “aww”. When he’s getting into his senior years, Cal’s going to definitely be older, hopefully wiser, and possibly in a motorized wheelchair. But he’s going to be the same goofball, wannabe Peter Pan he is now.

PLOTS: Describe one (or more) plots you would like to do.

Okay so fun fact, waaaaay back when this whole thing originally came together, I had been toying around with this one plot in my head. It goes back to the original storyline, but we carried some of this plot over so it still exists. Caleb used to be in a touring production of Spring Awakening. While he was going around the country (this is the part where things differ from the way we changed it), Izzy was still in Lima and then going to college in Florida. So one of my genius ideas at the time was this whole elaborate breakup plot that basically just involved the two of them being heartbroken and it shaking up every single relationship with every single person they’d been connected to. And it was great, in my head. There were also a few songs thrown in there for good measure. But ultimately, we never did it because Nicky wouldn’t let me release the angst. It’s okay though, i’m over it now, but it would’ve been a fun kind of shit show back in the day. Anyway, as far as plots i’d like to do currently...I have a list:

I’d really like to see the conversation that happens between Caleb and Marc that is essentially them burying the hatchet.

When Cal first meets Janey and Lucky

And a whole bunch of other ones that I have written down but won’t make sense until we release the list of changes.

VALUES: What is one thing in their past they’re ashamed of? - Trying to push the people that matter to him most away from him. Especially because of the ways he went about it.

One thing they’re proud of? - Caleb’s proud of himself for never giving into peer pressure to be someone he wasn’t. It was tempting sometimes to just go with what everybody else was doing so he wouldn’t have to deal with arguing with people. But every time that temptation came close, he would look around and see exactly the kind of people he didn’t want to become. And although it was a struggle, he made it out of McKinley as one of the few people who knew who they really were on the inside.

What is one thing they feel strongly about? - Equal rights for all.

One trait they admire? - Cal admires when people are willing to look beyond image, and when they’re willing to push past their own impressions, to see the real person underneath it all. He thinks the ability to judge people only on the content of their character is incredible.

What disturbs them? - One thing he will never understand is how people can be full of so much hatred for others. Especially when they don’t even know the person beyond a first impression.

Do the ends justify the means in their eyes? - Not always.

Would they be more likely to act for the good of one or the good of many? - Depends on who the one and many are.

Are they manipulative? - He absolutely can be when he feels it’s necessary.

Are they a leader or a follower? Why? - Caleb is definitely a leader. He might only be leading himself, but he’s okay with that. He refuses to be anything other than the most authentic version of himself, and if that means he walks alone, so be it.

What do they feel responsible for? (Ex. I owe it to the world to do this.) - Caleb feels responsible for taking care of his family and friends.

Do they believe that a person can redeem themselves from mistakes of the past? - Yes. He believes that people can change for the better and while they can’t change the past, they can learn from it and become better people for it.

What scares them? - Cal’s worst fear is not leaving behind a positive legacy when he’s gone from the world. It doesn’t have to be a big thing, or even for a lot of people. But he wants to be a positive influence in something or somebody outside of his own life. If not, he’s scared that it will mean in the grand scheme of things, his life served no purpose.

DEATH: How do they feel about death? Have they been significantly affected by it? - Caleb’s not afraid of dying. He’s not ready to die yet, but he doesn’t fear it. For him, the part of death that scares him is the idea of having to watch his loved ones die. That would break him in unimaginable ways. Luckily, Cal hasn’t lost anyone he’s particularly close to (he’s hoping it stays that way.) But he has come close a few of times. He’s even come close to losing his own life on a couple of occasions. And all it’s done is made him more grateful for the time he has, and the people he has around him.

How would they like to die? - Cal would like to die in his sleep. Sounds corny, but he’d rather go out in literal peace.

RELIGION AND BELIEFS: Is the character religious? What are their views, and why or why not? - Cal’s not religious at all. He’s agnostic but also polytheist. Basically he isn’t sure if any God exists or not, so why not believe in them all? He thinks the stories written in the bible and other religious texts are just that, stories. But there’s nothing wrong with telling a good story. His only issue with religion is that people then use these stories to cause pain to others and he’s not about that.

Do they value faith over reason or vice versa? - Reason and Faith each have their time to be valued, as far as Caleb is concerned. But he’s more inclined to value reason over faith. He can accept logical reasoning a lot easier.

Do they believe in an afterlife? - Yes. He’s just not sure which one he believes in. Right now, he likes the idea of Elysium.

Do they have any habits that reflect their beliefs? (Ex. regular prayer, vegetarianism, etc.) - None that can be recalled.

Do they respect the beliefs of others? - Of course. Everyone is free to believe whatever they believe. Just don’t use your beliefs to do any kind of harm to others and Cal has no issues.

RANDOM: First crush? - Alexa Vega in Spy Kids 2. He thought she was really pretty and funny and her attitude would be perfect for her to fit into his family.

Do they have any prominent sensory associations? (Ex. the smell of their mother’s perfume, the sound of ice cracking under their feet as a child, etc.) -

Sound: The sound of footsteps on the hardwood floor of an empty dance studio; The beeping of hospital monitors; Rain pattering against his window

Smell: Fresh cut grass; Fresh baked brownies; Burning charcoal

Sight: The stars from an open field; Flickering diner signs; The black and white old school movie countdown

Taste: Fresh popped popcorn; S’mores; Vanilla soft serve ice cream

Touch: Crushing fallen leaves in his hand; Soft pillows; The cold when you first dive into a body of water.

Stuck in a waiting room. Which magazine do they pick up? - National Geographic or Time.

[chuckisgod]

Going Away for Awhile (Lin x Reader) Part 1 of 2

Pairings: Lin x Reader

Prompt: Lin leaves to London for a while and the reader gets angry until he tells her that he got tickets with him and put lots of fluff after that maybe. ~ @myfriendruineddeathnoteforme

Warnings: Language and angst, although not really in this part.

Word Count: 1,922 Words… This is the longest fic I’ve ever written and I’m not even done with it yet.

AN: So I was a little worried that this would be lost in the crowd of write-a-thon fics, but I decided to post it anyway.

Tags: @plamspringsdancingontables @the-and-peggy @piercethemarti @fandomsinabookshelf @elvndrk @hamil-tonn-of-trash @sasstran

________________________________________________________________

Your relationship with Lin over the past few months was strained. The lack of time you two had spent together had been drastically decreased between Hamilton rehearsals and performances and the many interviews and photo shoots that came with being the biggest thing on Broadway.

The last time you had spent more than two hours with your boyfriend while he was awake had been a little over a week ago when he had persuaded Javi to take his place as Hamilton in that evening’s performance so he could take you out on a well-needed date.

He had taken you on a walk through Central Park after which he had taken you out to eat at the new Italian restaurant near your apartment. He seemed to want to give you what you had missed out on for the last couple of months due to his hectic life.

He had been jittery, almost nervous all evening and your first thought was that he was going to break up with you. Why wouldn’t he?

“I think it’s time for me to think of doing other things. I mean Hamilton is great, and it will always be one of my babies, but Javi deserves the chance to get to play Hamilton. And I’ve received so many offers for other projects that I think it’s time.”

“I wasn’t expecting you to say that,” You replied exhaling with relief. “I was expecting so much worse.”

“Oh sweetheart, no. Why would you think that?” He slid into the chair next to you, pulling yours as close to his as he could before he pulled you into his arms. “I love you, and I wouldn’t leave you for anything. If I go anywhere, you’re coming with me.” ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lin’s last night as Hamilton was bittersweet. It would be one of your last nights backstage at the Richard Rodgers unless Lin wrote another smash hit, and you could feel the emotions of the cast in the air.

Pippa smiled at you from across the hall in her dressing room where she was putting on her makeup. She waved you over, and you happily obliged, knowing that this would be the last time you’d see her dressed like Eliza. After all, it was her last night as well.

“How are you feeling?” You asked noticing the flowers and cards in front of the mirror.

“I’m okay, a little nervous, like always. But I’m also kind of sad, I’ve been Eliza for such a long time.”

“Pippa,” you whispered, blinking away tears. “I feel like our lives are changing right before our eyes. Today you’re Eliza and tomorrow you’re probably going to be the biggest thing on Broadway. Everyone will know your name.” She gave you a watery smile before pulling you into a hug.

“What are you girls doing in here?” Lin’s voice popped in through the open door. “Everyone else is in Javi’s getting a Cafecito. I’ve been looking for you two everywhere.”

“We’re literally in Pippa’s dressing room, though,” you said incredulously.

“I may or may not have just started looking for you, but that’s beside the point. You need to come and spend time with the rest of us. It’s the last Cafecito we’re ever going to have all together.” Lin grabbed your arm, pulling you out the door. You waved a quick goodbye to Pippa as you turned the before Lin attacked you with a kiss. “I’ve been waiting all night to do that,” he whispered against your lips.

“We really should go get Cafecito with the others.”

“Nope, now that I’ve got you here in my arms I’m not letting you go.” You could feel him smirking near your ear.

“No, we can’t do this now. You have a show to star in, and I have to be in the audience to watch you be the ‘sexier Hamilton’”

“Hey!” An angry voice yelled from the farthest dressing room while a multitude of voices laughed.

As you and Lin walked into Javi’s dressing room a smile on your face, you realized that no matter where you would be in a few years if Lin was by your side, you would be happy. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ You fumbled with the keys in your hand as you tried to juggle the two bags of groceries on your hip because you were too lazy to make two trips. The sound of singing through the thick wooden door made you smile. But you stopped smiling when as you opened the door, the shifted weight of the bags in your arms caused the heavier bag to slip.

“Damn it!” You swore. The cans from the bag were rolling around on the floor haphazardly.

Suddenly Lin was on his knees on the floor beside you collecting the cans that were all over your living room. “You should have texted me you were coming up. I would have helped!”

You looked up sheepishly from the ground. The glimpse of Lin dancing through the apartment singing his favorite songs was something you wouldn’t interrupt to save your life even when you needed help with the groceries. “You were dancing and enjoying yourself way too much. I don’t think you would have heard your phone anyway.”

“I was dancing because something exciting happened today.” Leading you to the table, he instructed you to sit, before going to the piano and rifling through the stack of mail that had been there for at least two weeks. “I know being an adult and going through your mail is exciting, but not everyone enjoys leaving their mail for weeks.”

Your sarcasm over mail couldn’t dull his enthusiasm, however.

“IwasaskedtobeinthenewestMaryPoppinsmoviewithEmilyBluntandMerylStreepandit’sareallylongshootbutit’sforMaryPoppins.YouknowhowmuchIloveMaryPoppins,” he mumbled, running his words together to get them all out at once. “Should I do it?”

“What? Oh my God, Lin!” You jumped up from the table, knocking the chair over with a clatter. Oops. You pulled him into an embrace and kept him there. “I can’t believe it, but of course you should do it. It’s the opportunity of a lifetime. Why wouldn’t you do it?”

Lin paled and seemed to hide his head in your shoulder. “Hey, what’s up” you whispered nudging him.

“It’s in London” he mumbled the word into your neck.

Oh, it was in London, as in across the ocean, as in not in the United States, as in a place Lin knew you couldn’t go to, because of your new job. “Oh wow, that’s amazing Lin. When do you start?” You tried so very hard not to let the smile on your face fall as you realized what was probably going to happen between you and Lin over the next couple of months if he took the job.

“I haven’t even decided to take it yet; I don’t want to move to London without you.” Lin looked so conflicted. “I love you and with your new job. I just don’t want to lose you.”

“Lin, you have to take it! I can’t be the one holding you back even if that means I’ll lose you.”

“Maybe I don’t want to lose you, had you thought about that. All I know is that you’re the love of my life, and if that means we only get to see each other in person every few months, I know we can do it because we’re supposed to be together.” Lin’s face crumbled, and he dissolved into tears. “I know this is awful timing because of your new job, but whenever I get off, I’ll fly all the way back here to you.”

“I love you,” You whispered. “So very much.” You kissed the tears off his cheeks and knew that you’d be okay. Lin wasn’t going to leave, not if he had any say in it anyway. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

On the day that Lin was set to go to London, you awoke to the heavy weight of Lin’s arm on your abdomen and his head resting on your shoulder. He was still asleep. You couldn’t get up without waking him up and realizing that, you laid there for what felt like hours contemplating your life and relationship with Lin.

When Lin finally stirred awake and saw you watching him sleep, he smirked and murmured, “You aren’t going to be able to keep doing that you know. Sooner or later I’m going to have to get out of bed.”

“No,” you mumbled, snuggling into his side, “If we get up you’re going to have to leave, and I don’t want you to go.”

“Come on lazy. It’s time to start the day.” He pulled you up out of bed and dragged you to the kitchen. “What about pancakes for breakfast?”

“Pancakes and then I think your flight leaves pretty early so we should probably get you to the airport.” You and Lin whirled around the kitchen in the familiar dance that was making breakfast together.

Lin smiled at you as he stirred the bowl of pancake batter a dollop on his nose. “What are you going to do without me?” you whispered, wiping it away with the dish towel hanging on the oven door. “I swear you’re going to go around with pancake batter all over your face in London because you didn’t have someone there to wipe it off for you.”

His sad smile almost brought you to tears, and you realized that this could be the last time you saw Lin in person in nearly a year unless he came home for Thanksgiving or Christmas. “I love you.”

Pushing your feelings to the side, you watched as Lin finished his pancakes and went to the bedroom grabbing his bags and moving them to the entryway. He came over to you sitting at the kitchen table and placed a kiss on your forehead. “Are you ready to go?”

“I don’t want to go. I’ll miss you.”

“We’ll still talk all the time, sweetheart. It’s not like we’re saying goodbye for forever. I’m just going away for a while.”

The drive to the airport was silent, the two of you contemplating life and what was going to happen within the next few months. Little did you know, Lin was trying to figure out how he was going to be able to sleep without you by his side, how was he going to avoid burning dinner without you.

“God I love you,” He stated on the walk to security at JFK, his hands shaking as he held onto his carry-on.  

“Lin,” you grabbed his arm pulling him into an embrace, trying to keep your feeling in check, but it wasn’t working. You could feel a wetness on your shirt and realized Lin was crying, which of course made you cry. 

“I’m going to miss you so very much,” he whispered into your ear as he broke the embrace, “I promise I’m going to call you as often as I can. You’re going to be sick of me.” he called as he walked through security. Away from you. Away from everything.

Masterlist

[itsthenerdwonder]

Beauty and the Beast 2017

Guys, this movie is very good. I definitely recommend you guys all see it...for cheap. Don’t you dare spend $20+popcorn on this movie.  Wait until it comes out on streaming or Netflix or a good bootleg version.  It is worth about $10. If you spend any more on this movie, you are wasting your money, and here’s why:

Spoilers ahead (duh...)

It’s basically the 1991 version.  I know, I know. “But CJ, you absolutely love that movie. Why would that be a detriment to the film if it’s so similar to that amazing movie?” Because it is INCREDIBLY similar, but neither exactly the same nor it’s own thing.  There are some things that are shot for shot, line for line the ‘91 version, and there are other things that change.  It feels like they took the script from ‘91 and a list of plot holes people have pointed out over the years and said “change this one line, okay, that’s one plot hole fixed. No more changes made to this page, on to the next plot hole that is ten pages away.” This approach doesn’t bring anything new to the script.  Sometimes they change when the lines are delivered (Ex: Cogsworth & Lumiere take her to her room instead of Beast; Gaston describes his future to LeFou instead of to Belle; Beast shows Belle the library and “...sure...here...have a library...why not” instead of “I’m falling in love and want to show that I care about her...gifts! LIBRARY!”) which sometimes work and sometimes don’t, but they are odd changes that are still line for line ‘91 even if it is a small change in placement/delivery.

The time plot hole. Yes, for whatever reason, they fix all of the other plot holes like a checklist, but for the amount of time Belle spends at the castle, they give a definitive answer.  How long do you think Belle stayed in the castle from “I’ve come to free my father” to “I love you”? Three days? Three months?  I like to think it was a few months with “I’ve come to free my father” being mid-fall and “I love you” being mid-winter and their ball/wedding being early spring.  This BatB from “I’ve come to free my father” to “I love you” is one week.  What the heck?!  Sure, time is frozen in the castle (literally. It’s the middle of June and it’s snowing all the time around the castle), but one week for the transformation of “I hate you” to “I love you.” NO!

The music. It’s not the original version with the original people, I know, I get it, but that means you can play around with the music and create new scores and make new classics.  Or, you can do what BatB ’17 does and keep the same score but slightly tweaked so as to mess with everyone trying to sing along and add two new songs that aren’t better than previously established songs.  ‘Gaston’ is the only song that was improved and part of it was the dancing and the other part was LeFou being fantastic.  ‘Be Our Guest’ is slightly tweaked and it’s very strange and it’s not as bright and colorful as in the animated version because the budget ran out or something (but CGI is a different thing).  ‘Belle’ is exactly the same...except when they take a longer pause in between verses...and when they change singers so a girl singing in ‘91 might be a guy in ‘17 which mixes up the sound of the song...and...why?  ‘Days in the Sun’ is fine, but I like ‘Human Again’ better. Can’t tell you why, I just do.  ‘Evermore’ is very good and Dan Stevens gives his all into that song...but he’s just not Terrence Mann doing ‘If I Can’t Love Her.’  Dan Stevens really tries with his song, but the instrumental backing just doesn’t have the weight that ‘If I Can’t Love Her’ has, and they sound similar enough to make very easy comparisons.

The CGI. We’ve been complaining about this since day 1.  It’s not as bad as you think and you definitely get used to the CGI, but it affects Emma Watson’s performance.  She does something in a castle, a green stick is rotated, she laughs hysterically at the joke Lumiere just told...but he didn’t tell it, a stick did.  Part of the reason the kid who played Mowgli was able to do so well in the new Jungle Book was because he was a kid.  Part of the reason Emma Watson was so convincing as Hermione Granger is because she was a kid.  I pretended that a slide was a portal for years. I knew it wasn’t, but it’s easier to change reality when you’re a kid than when you’re an adult.  And especially in ‘Be Our Guest’ when Belle is grabbing for ‘food’ that is being ripped away from her because Props didn’t have the budget to feed Emma Watson during the song or something, all you see is CGI swirling around her trying to look convincing, but it’s not.  The CGI cloths that first spring out of the Wardrobe do the same thing.  It’s good CGI, just not convincing. (Also, a lot of the colors in the castle are muted except in the ballroom scene...idk why, but ‘Be Our Guest’ was sung in the dark instead of in a brightly lit dining hall.)

So, yeah, the movie has major problems, but I still think you guys should see it.  It may not be ‘91, but for what it is, it’s good.  You should see this movie--maybe not in cinemas, but sometime--because

LeFou gets character development and it’s great!

Tom, Dick or Stanley (i don’t remember which) is gay and possibly transgender and it’s great!

Chip skateboards around the castle on a saucer and I love it!

Lumiere’s French accent isn’t as bad as the trailer’s made it.

POC’S! Like, actual character POC’s and more than one. I can only think of 3 off the top of my head, but they are all important characters and those alone mean that BatB has 200% more color than Cinderella and The Jungle Book (Mowgli may be the lead, but can you really count Idris Elba or Ben Kingsley when you only hear them?) and 300% more than Alice or Maleficent. Slow progress is still progress.

The Beast’s dialogue is GREAT!

This Belle isn’t polite to be polite; she tells Gaston from moment 1 “Go away, you horrible person.” No, “I’m sorry, I just don’t deserve you.” Straight up, “Get off my property!”

The score is great, especially the fact that the score for Belle’s room is ‘Home’ from the Broadway musical.

It’s a love story with more than just Belle and Beast.  Wardrobe and Maestro (they have names, don’t expect me to remember them) are married and are in love but they can’t see each other and it’s so sad.  Lumiere and Plumette actually love each other but he’s fire and she’s feathers so it’s very dangerous for them to be together.

The sets are fantastic. You knew that, but it needs to be said.

There are definitely more reasons not to see the movie, and there are certainly more reasons to see the movie.  Unfortunately, it’s late and I’m tired so I can’t give many more details.  I enjoyed the movie, but it does not compare to the original.  Understand that, accept that, plan on watching the ‘91 version soon after watching the ‘17 version, but I don’t think you will regret watching this version...unless you spend $40 to watch it. 7/10, good, but not Best Picture material like ‘91 is.

[sapienveneficus]

And All Shall Know the Wonder

Finally, I wanted to repost the individual blurbs I wrote about each cast member. 

Miles Barbee – Miles plays the role of Otto, one of the teenage boys in the show. Otto’s more of a supporting role, but Miles has definitely managed to make his presence known on stage. I think his greatest strength in this production has been his ability to circumvent expectations. His character is meant to be the youngest of the school boys; he’s even dressed in a sort of sailor suit to denote his juvenile status. And yet, he’s called upon to deliver some of the most audacious lines/lyrics in the whole show. He plays this contrast beautifully.  Those moments in the show, where he does or says something unexpected, are always perfectly and wonderfully shocking.

Katie Boeck – Katie plays the voice of Wendla/guitar. Wendla’s the female lead, so Katie sings and speaks quite a lot throughout the course of the show, but one of her many gifts is the ability not to pull focus. She’s there to support the actress playing Wendla, and she does it seamlessly. She and Sandra Mae Frank, who work together to play Wendla, have developed an exceptional rhythm on stage. Their partnership is so well formed that, as an audience member, it’s easy to mistake them for the same person. And Katie’s voice, wow, I’ll do my best to explain just how incredible she is. The music of Spring Awakening is more pop/rock than your standard Broadway show. When casting the show, the producers and director sought out actors and actresses who had more of a singer/song writer sound than a more traditional Broadway sound.  (more straight tone, less belt) Katie’s voice fits the music perfectly. Wendla’s solos are beautiful but understated. There’s a temptation to go too big. I’ve seen other actresses treat Mama Who Bore Me as their Mama Rose moment, but Katie lets the song be soulful and quiet, just as it should be. One of the great tragedies of this show is that it didn’t get its own cast recording. I would love to have a proper studio recording of Katie singing Whispering, but, as the Rolling Stones so wisely stated, you can’t always get what you want.

Alex Boniello – Alex plays the voice of Moritz/guitar. Moritz is one of the male leads so, like Katie as the voice of Wendla, Alex speaks and sings a great deal throughout the course of the show. Unlike Katie, Alex does not exist in the background. His stage presence is the opposite of understated. He’s the kind of actor who could be in the background of a scene holding a nondescript box, so far removed from center stage that he’s practically in the wings, and yet as an audience member you’d be thinking, “Who’s that guy with the box?” So he and Daniel Durant, the actor who plays Moritz, have worked out a different way to share the role. There are times when Alex is unseen while on stage, but he’s literally behind a physical object or turned completely around, back to the audience. There are times when he’s in the middle of the action, lightening scenes with his fantastic comedic timing. And then there are moments when he’s simply not on stage at all, and Daniel signs with no voice. This combination of varied approaches to the hearing/deaf partnership only adds depth to the already complex character of Moritz Stiefel. And what can I say about Alex’s voice? It has that rough rock quality perfectly suited to Moritz’s songs. I don’t want to sound like a broken record, but I am also in mourning for the studio version of Alex singing Don’t Do Sadness that we will never get.

Joshua Castille – Josh plays Ernst, another of the teenage boys in the show. Josh, like Alex, has an undeniable stage presence. So he’s been given more weight to carry in the show than an actor playing Ernst (a supporting role) normally gets. Josh, in addition to telling Ernst’s story, is there to show the audience what it would have been like to be a deaf teenager in 19th century Germany. There are dozens of little moments throughout the show where he does that to great effect. One of the show’s early scenes takes place in a classroom. The teacher is calling on each student in turn to recite passages from Virgil’s Aeneid. When Ernst’s turn comes, he begins to fingerspell as he speaks the Latin words out loud. The teacher quickly and harshly shuts him down. Later in that same scene, after the teacher speaks an instruction to the class, Ernst turns to his seatmate who has to write down the instruction on his slate because, naturally, Ernst can’t hear them. These are small moments, but they speak volumes to the deaf experience in a world dominated by oralism, as it would have been in the 1890s. And as Ernst is a smaller role, brought to life by such a dynamic actor, these small moments truly stand out. Ernst’s big scene takes place in the show’s second act. The scene is a comedic one, and as the show’s second act is rather heavy, this lighter scene is desperately needed to balance things out. That being said, Josh and Andy Mientus (his scene partner) have added dramatic layers to a scene that is typically just played for laughs. Josh allows Ernst to be simultaneously clever, prideful, innocent, hopeful, joyous, and vulnerable. Josh is one of the youngest cast members, he turned 21 during the show’s run, and I for one cannot wait to see whatever project he decides to tackle next.

Daniel Durant – Daniel plays the role of Moritz, one of the male leads. The actor who played Moritz in the original Broadway run, John Gallagher, Jr., won a Tony award for his performance, and I would be shocked if Daniel is not, at the very least, nominated for one as well this season. His performance is, I feel like remarkable isn’t a strong enough word, but it’s what’s coming to mind at the moment. Moritz is a teenage boy carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders. He struggles terribly in school, has a strained relationship with his parents, has never kissed a girl, and his best friend is smartest and most popular kid in town. And in this production, he’s also deaf in a society dominated the hearing. Moritz is typically portrayed with a sort of restless anger, but Daniel’s portrayal is softer, more introspective. His Moritz is desperate to find the good in whatever terrible situation life hands him, right up to the point where there is no good left to find. Daniel brings a degree of raw vulnerability to Moritz that is unlike any portrayal of the character I’ve seen before. One of Daniel’s strongest scenes takes place in the first act. Moritz has just received terrible news and has to share that news with his stern father. Now, in the Deaf West revival, both Mortiz and his father are deaf. So the scene is only signed, not spoken. The scene is painfully uncomfortable to watch because both actors on stage act it so authentically. The scene is almost too real. Daniel perfectly portrays Moritz’s fear, desperation, sadness, and shame as he speaks with his father. As I said at the beginning, I would be stunned if Daniel isn’t nominated for a Tony this season.

Treshelle Edmond – Treshelle plays Marta, one of the teenage girls. Marta is one of the supporting roles, and Treshelle plays her beautifully. She has the ability to blend into the group of girls during the ensemble numbers, and then shine when she takes center stage for her big number. Marta is deaf in this production, but unlike the characters I’ve discussed so far, she does not have a close relationship with her inner voice. In fact, Kathryn Gallagher, who plays the voice of Marta, and Treshelle never share the stage. This physical separation is heavily symbolic as it speaks to Marta’s profound feeling of isolation and brokenness. Treshelle balances Marta’s profound sadness with her desire to blend, to be a part of a group. She’s a character searching for love and kindness from a world that has, thus far, denied her both.

Sandra Mae Frank – Sandra plays Wendla, the female lead. I’m just going to say, right at the top, that Sandra’s portrayal of Wendla is the best I’ve ever seen. She’s the other actor in this production who will most likely receive a Tony nomination, and she couldn’t be more deserving. Wendla’s a complex character, and Sandra plays her with an unprecedented level of artistry. She perfectly balances Wendla’s innocence with her growing sexual awakening. I think that innocence, in its purest most child-like form, is one of the toughest qualities to act on stage. The actresses I’ve seen play Wendla in the past have all failed to portray Wendla’s innocence at the beginning in a believable way. They have all given in, in one way or another, to the temptation to over-act the show’s opening scene between Wendla and her mother. Sandra’s performance in this scene, by contrast, is brilliantly authentic. As an audience member, I believe that I am watching a teenage girl trying to have an uncomfortable conversation with her mother. I believe in her genuine desire to get the answers to her questions; to understand a part of the world that is being kept from her. Sandra also shines in her scenes with Austin McKenzie, the actor who plays Melchior. We see Wendla’s feelings for Melchoir evolve from school girl crush, to genuine love and affection in such a perfectly organic way. Again, I’ve seen so many actresses over-act these scenes, but Sandra’s performance is perfectly understated and authentic. Her best scene though, in my opinion, is the scene just before Whispering. This scene, as it mirrors the show’s opening, is set between Wendla and her mother. Wendla’s innocence from the beginning is all but gone as she doesn’t cajole, or beg, but rather demands honesty from her mother. In that moment, Sandra chooses to use her own voice as she asks, “Why didn’t you tell me everything?” Sandra uses her voice exactly three times in the show, and while each time packs such an emotional punch, there’s hardly a dry eye in the house as Whispering comes to a close. This woman deserves a Tony!

Kathryn Gallagher – Kathryn plays the voice of Marta/guitar. Much like Katie, Kathryn allows herself to exist in the background, so that her presence does not distract from Treshelle’s portrayal of Marta. Kathryn’s greatest strength is unquestionably her musicality. Her voice is strong and pure. She layers such raw emotion onto every line she sings, it makes the experience of watching Marta’s scenes that much more powerful. Kathryn is also a fantastic guitarist. I am in awe of the way that all of the voice actors are able to simultaneously sing their lines so that they mach perfectly with their counterpart’s signing while at the same time playing their instruments. I like to imagine that part of the Deaf West Spring Awakening audition process was the classic grade-school “rub your belly as you pat your head” test.  Kathryn, I’m quite sure, would pass that test with flying colors.

Sean Grandillo – Sean plays the voice of Otto/bass. Sean has an exceptional voice and is quite an accomplished musician. He plays both the upright bass and the electric bass in the show while managing to conduct the other musicians on stage. He also has an undeniable stage presence. I am sure that this fact presented somewhat of a challenge to show’s director, Michael Arden. Sean, after all, voices a supporting character who doesn’t really get his own standout scene or musical number. So what they’ve done, and I suspect this was intentional, is cleverly work Sean into several of the musical numbers and scenes. He’s been gifted these little moments throughout the show to show off his exceptional comedic chops and dynamic personality.  I suspect that Spring Awakening will not be the last time we see Sean Grandillo grace a Broadway stage.

Russell Harvard – Russell Harvard plays all of the deaf adult males in the show. (The school’s headmaster, the village priest, and Moritz’s father) As each of the characters he portrays is quite unique, Russell has the opportunity through the course of the show to demonstrate his impressive range as an actor. As the headmaster, he gets to flex his comedic muscles. As the priest, he’s perfectly stoic and pompous. But it’s in the role of Moritz’s father where he truly shines. He embodies the cruelty, disinterest, and anger of that character in such a masterful way. He and Daniel Durant have worked so well together to let that big confrontation scene in act one evolve throughout the run of the show. The scene is so powerfully raw, that it never fails to leave me breathless.

Amelia Hensley – Amelia plays the role of Thea, one of Wendla’s best friends. She’s typically portrayed as a sassy little know-it-all, but Amelia plays her in a way that is more earnest than cruel. Thea does occasionally say the wrong thing at the exact wrong time, but in this revival those moments seem to come from a genuine place of concern for her friends, rather than a need to be right driven by Thea’s own sense of superiority. It occurs to me, as I write these actor paragraphs, that each actor really has found a way to breathe new life into these characters. These portrayals aren’t complete departures from the originals. Instead, these differences are more nuanced. They’re the kinds of interpretations that can only come from actors who have studied their roles for an extended period of time. (but back to Amelia) Amelia’s greatest strength is her ability to build relationships on stage with the other actors. You see it in the way she interacts with the actress who plays her sister, Melitta. There are times when it is difficult to tell where Thea ends and Melitta begins. They seem to effortlessly move and act as one. And you also see it in her scenes with Wendla. Her subtle teasing and the knowing looks they exchange go a long way to create a friendship on stage that we, as audience members, need to believe has existed for years.

Lauren Luiz – Lauren plays Melitta/voice of Thea. Melitta is a character who has been created for this revival. She is Thea’s twin sister. She speaks for Thea as Thea signs. So unlike the other hearing actors who play voice of (fill in the blank) as inner voices or imaginary friends, Lauren gets to play a real character who is meant to be seen. And she plays the part beautifully. I feel like I’m over using the word beautifully. I am, aren’t I? Oh well, it fits so I’m going to continue using it. Lauren has worked hard to form an incredible on stage bond with Amelia, it really is hard to believe these two aren’t sisters in real life. But Lauren’s greatest gift to the show would have to be her voice. It’s soulful but also strong. She has a voice that stands out. It’s a shame her character doesn’t get any proper solos. There have been rumors that she’ll take on the role of Ilse when the show goes on tour next year. I, for one, hope those rumors are true.

Austin McKenzie – Austin plays the role of Melchior Gabor, the male lead. Melchior is smartest and most popular teenager in this small German village where the play is set. In every production of the show I’ve seen, the actor playing Melchior owns this fact and dials up his arrogance accordingly. But, that’s not how Austin plays the part. His Melchior has a dash of humility mixed in with the arrogance. Actually, now that I really stop to think about it, the word arrogance has a connotation that doesn’t truly fit. Melchior is arrogant in the sense that he thinks he knows better than the adults in his life, but that’s more the arrogance of youth than something specific to this one character. He also doesn’t treat his peers as if he’s superior to them. He does, though, act as their defacto leader. Signing instructions to his classmates when the teacher’s back is turned, teaching his best friend about sex, and ultimately being chosen by the headmaster as a scapegoat when a terrible scandal threatens to ruin the school’s reputation. Austin’s Melchior is a leader, an imperfect leader, but not a pompous one. Austin performs the role with such a fierce intentionality. That’s actually what stood out to me the most, the first time I saw the revival. I remember thinking, “I have never seen an actor speak and sign with such intensity, in a way that demands to be both seen and understood.” I should probably explain that Austin is a hearing actor who is also fluent in ASL. In fact, you should know that Spring Awakening is not just his Broadway debut, it’s his theatrical debut. Which means that Spring Awakening is his first production of any kind, ever. I’m talking no off Broadway shows, no regional theater, no community theater, not even a kindergarten production of Winnie the Pooh. Two years ago, while this production as still very much in the development stage, Austin applied to be an ASL interpreter for the Deaf West Theatre Company and was instead asked to audition for Melchior.  I wanted to briefly share his backstory for two reasons, first because it’s an amazing story, and second because it explains why he was chosen for the part. The character of Melchior serves as a bridge between the worlds in Spring Awakening. He’s the glue that holds the show together. In a typical production, he serves as a link between the children and the adults, the boys and the girls, the cast and the audience, and finally between the present and the future. It’s a demanding role for any actor to take up, but the Deaf West production demands even more. Because Deaf West’s Melchior must also be a bridge between the world of hearing and the world of the deaf. It’s true that all of the cast members sign at least a little throughout the course of the show. Everyone signs along with the songs as the signs have been seamlessly woven into their choreography. Obviously, the deaf actors sign all of their dialogue while their hearing counterparts speak it. And the hearing actors with stand-alone roles sign and speak their dialogue, but there isn’t much of it for them to sign because these roles are smaller. So the burden on the hearing actors having to learn ASL for their parts isn’t too great. It’s maybe 7 or 8 lines of dialogue over the course of the entire show. But, Melchior is the lead. He has monologues, multiple solos, and long, complicated scenes with several different characters, both hearing and deaf. Melchior has to be that bridge, connecting those two worlds for the audience. I think that this explains why Austin speaks, sings, and signs with such intensity. As Melchior he is desperate to be both heard and understood, but as a hearing actor working with a deaf cast, performing in front of a mixed audience, he is determined to reach everyone. And he succeeds. This entry is already way too long so I don’t have time to say much about his vocal performance. As you might imagine, it’s amazing! I do want to very briefly highlight the song I believe Austin does best. As I’ve already stated, Melchior has several solos throughout the course of the show. And each actor I’ve seen take on the part has had one signature number; one number that has stood out, at least to me, as THEIR song. Jonathan Groff’s was Left Behind, Jake Epstein’s was The Mirror-Blue Night, and Austin McKenzie’s is Totally Fucked.  From the first note to the last, he OWNS that song. I think it’s a combination of timing and hubris. He’s got the timing of, “There’s a moment you know (pause) you’re fucked,” down perfectly. It always draws a big reaction from the crowd. And then there’s the way he acts the song. As I said up top, Austin’s Melchior is more intentional and earnest than the other’s I’ve seen. This song, though, is a departure from that. It’s as if he saves all of his pure, unadulterated, self-assuredness for this number alone. And the effect is, well, fantastic! I think the elderly woman sitting behind me during a matinee last month summed up his acting in this song perfectly. “That Melchior! He’s a real cad!” Austin’s the other cast member who deserves a Tony nomination, but as I suspect that the Hamilton cast will crowd Austin’s category, I doubt he’ll get one.

Andy Mientus – Andy plays the role of Hanschen, the school’s obnoxious brown-noser . Andy is a force of nature on stage. He’s a brilliant comedic actor with an impressive set of pipes, but first and foremost, he is Spring Awakening’s biggest fan. He saw the original run during his senior year of college. He loved the show so much that he made his own Spring Awakening Facebook fan page, where fans from around the world could gather and discuss the show. Spring Awakening’s producers loved his page so much that they made it the show’s official fan page. Then, after graduating from the University of Michigan (Go Blue!), Andy auditioned for Spring Awakening’s first National Tour and was cast as Hanschen. Fast forward to 2014, Andy and Michael Arden (the director) approached the Deaf West Theatre Company about translating and putting on a production of Spring Awakening, and now that production is on Broadway. Andy is acting in a revival of his favorite show, a revival that he helped bring about. He is living every fan’s dream. And I, for one, couldn’t be happier for him.

Patrick Page – Patrick plays all of the hearing adult males in the show. (the teacher, the doctor, a priest, Hanschen’s father, and Melchior’s father) Patrick is a classically trained actor with a Broadway career spanning decades. Unlike the other adults in this show, who already had connections to or are members of the deaf community, I suspect Patrick took this role because it presented him with a fresh challenge. Having worked for so long in the theater, there’s probably very little he hasn’t done . As you might expect, Patrick brings his vast experience as a Broadway actor to the show. He knows how to project, how to play to the back of the house, and how to keep a show from getting stale week in and week out. I’m sure the cast has enjoyed having someone with his unique professional experience in their company.

Krysta Rodriguez – Krysta plays the role of Ilse, the show’s outsider character. Ilse’s presence is felt in the show’s first act, but she doesn’t appear properly until the second. Krysta is an incredible actress, and she has a remarkable voice. She also has a rather impressive Spring Awakening backstory. Krysta was a member of the original ensemble cast and understudied several of the female roles, including Ilse. When Deaf West’s Spring Awakening first opened in LA, it was playing in this tiny 95 seat theater, and a different actress had the role of Ilse. But when the show transferred to a bigger theater out in Beverly Hills, that actress had to drop out to because of a prior commitment. Andy knew that Krysta was living in LA at the time, and that she was available. So he recommended her to the director, and the rest, as they say, his history. Well, not quite. There’s one more part of her story that I didn’t know about until the holiday season. Around Thanksgiving, Broadway does a big charity drive. So after each show, a few actors will share with the audience a little about the charities they’re supporting that season, one of which is a charity that helps actors pay for health care. I’d heard these charity speeches before because, before moving to the city, the holiday season is when I typically would be in town to see a show. So when Krysta got up to speak after a performance of Spring Awakening, I expected to hear the standard speech about the importance of giving generously to support the Broadway community. What I did not expect to hear, is the story that she shared. Last year, Krysta was diagnosed with breast cancer. The actor’s fund helped pay for her treatment. Treatment that she finished just a week or so before starting rehearsals for Spring Awakening. So Krysta is an actress I’ve come to respect for her talent but also for her courage.

Daniel David Stewart – Daniel plays the voice of Ernst/piano. The relationship between Ernst and his inner voice is the closest of any of the deaf/hearing counterparts in the show. The actors have both explained in interviews that this closeness is intentional. Ernst is one of the few characters who gets to retain some semblance of childlike innocence and optimism, despite all of the terrible things that happen so many of the characters around him. Daniel, despite staying close to Josh (who plays Ernst) throughout the course of the show, never detracts from Josh’s performance. Daniel, like Katie, has found a way to be present without being a distraction. Daniel also is an incredibly talented musician. His voice is pure and clear, and he plays the piano beautifully. He also does a lot of work in the background of several musical numbers to provide cues for the deaf actors. Daniel truly is a remarkable, multitalented young actor.

Ali Stroker – Ali plays the role of Anna, another of Wendla’s close friends. Ali has an impressive voice and an undeniable stage presence. She is also, and I can’t believe I’m typing this in the year 2016, the first actress in a wheelchair to act in a Broadway show. Most Broadway theaters, for those who have never been to one, are not ADA compliant. There are steps to enter and exit the theaters, the tiny bathrooms are either a floor above or a floor below the orchestra level and are accessible only by stairs, and very few rows have wheelchair seating. In fact, New York City itself isn’t really ADA compliant either. Coming from the DC area, that was big shock to me when I first moved here. Did you know only 18% of the city’s subway stations are handicap accessible? That’s less than 1/5! New York City has an appalling record when it comes to universal accessibility and access, and this is just one of the issues that this production of Spring Awakening has brought to light. (but back to Ali) Ali brings a light and joyful spirit to the show’s first act. Her optimism in the role of Anna is infectious. But as the show darkens, Anna’s optimism and joy all but disappear. Ali has some serious dramatic chops. I certainly hope that her first Broadway show won’t also be her last.

Alexandra Winter – Alexandra plays Greta/Harp. Greta is a new teenage character, added to help strengthen the sound of all of the ensemble numbers. She doesn’t really have a role in the story so I can’t speak to her acting abilities. I can say that she has a lovely voice and plays the harp beautifully.

Alex Wyse – Alex plays George, a geeky teenage boy hopelessly in love with his piano teacher. Georg, as a character, is there to provide brief moments of comic relief to help balance out such a dark and dramatic show. Alex does this brilliantly. He has such natural, effortless comedic timing. He also has an amazing voice. I’ve already spoke briefly about the show’s casting process, how the director wanted actors with more of a coffee house voice than a standard Broadway voice. Well, Alex is the exception to that rule. He needs to be, because George has a powerhouse solo in Touch Me, and Alex kills it each and every night. He stands up on a classroom chair, towering over his cast mates, and belts his heart out. He never fails to bring the house down with his solo. Alex is also a bit of a titan on social media. Between his hilarious tweets and clever periscope performances, I have no doubt he could make it as a stand-up comic. If he ever decides to take a break from Broadway, that is, which I hope won’t be happening any time soon.