#i got to catch it back on broadway back in 2022 and after seeing it again i think im actually really starting to like the show more!!

[coulrology]

Beetles when they're juiced

[jbaileyfansite]

Interview with W Magazine (2024)

Jonathan Bailey has traveled the world to promote Wicked, but there was one person he was especially eager to share the film with: his 94-year-old grandmother. She nurtured his love for musical theater and encouraged him to pursue ballet as a child, thus shaping his career in the arts.

So, the day after Wicked came out in the U.K., Bailey hosted a private screening at a local cinema for four generations of his family. While sitting in between his nana (who had painted her nails green for the occasion) and his mom and dad, Bailey became overcome with emotion.

“It’s a miraculous thing to know that what it came down to is having parents who let me go to the local village hall, and a grandparent who let me play, dance around and sing, and be free at such a young age,” Bailey tells W. “If you can catch a passion and just ring-fence it at such a young age, you never know what it can amount to.”

Adapted from the iconic Broadway stage musical, the film, which is set before the events of 1939’s The Wizard of Oz, chronicles the friendship between Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo), the future Wicked Witch of the West, and her classmate Galinda (Ariana Grande), later known as Glinda the Good.

Bailey’s scene-stealing portrayal of Fiyero Tigelaar, the charismatic Crown Prince of Winkie Country, only reaffirms his status as a Hollywood triple threat. In fact, “Dancing Through Life,” the earworm that serves as his character’s introduction at Shiz University, just cracked Billboard’s Hot 100 charts this week. (“That’s amazing. Do I get a certificate? What happens now?” Bailey quips.)

Bailey began rehearsing for Wicked in 2022 while shooting Fellow Travelers, the groundbreaking Showtime limited series that earned the 36-year-old his first Emmy nomination, and the third season of Bridgerton, the smash-hit Netflix romantic drama that made him a household name. Speaking on a video call from London in early December, the British star reveals that he is in the middle of reprising his role as Viscount Anthony Bridgerton, who is expecting his first child with wife Kate Sharma (Simone Ashley).

“There’s such an important relationship with the [Bridgerton] bros that has been developed over the series. Season four is going to be Luke [Thompson] and Yerin [Ha] being absolutely extraordinary, and there’s a whole plethora of new characters coming in,” Bailey says. “It’s so nice to come back, and it’s about celebrating the romance stories we’ve had and digging into the ones that are starting.”

Patience will have to be a virtue for Wicked and Bridgerton fans alike; the second half of the former, which Bailey coyly describes as “rich, bruising and hopeful,” will premiere next November, while the latter will debut in 2026.

How did you think about building your own interpretation of Fiyero?

The starting point was “Dancing Through Life.” He creates chaos around him, like he does in that song, because he’s got to match the chaos that’s going on inside. The challenge that I felt was the trope of a cool caddish prince. He’s deeply unnerved by stillness and adhering to rules and structure. That is probably a sign of someone who’s never really experienced love. When you see someone causing that sort of disturbance, it’s usually because they’ve never felt seen. An organizational psychologist, Adam Grant, sent me a message saying, “It’s a masterful portrayal of superficiality masking depth.” Out of all the things I’ve heard, that is the thing I’m going to get printed on a T-shirt.

The Shiz library scene was inspired by the work of Fred Astaire in Royal Wedding. What did you want to convey in those moments?

Fiyero has to come in and change the physical language and the emotional landscape of that school in one number. His fluidity, ease, and elasticity speak to his ability to maneuver and avoid. He’s quite avoidant. He has these bright, shining moments with everyone but never really allows the other person to land it with him. For those who understand the physical language of Fiyero, there are many Easter eggs and nods to what happens to him later in the story.

Fiyero is at the center of a love triangle between Elphaba and Galinda. What do you think he sees in each of them?

The brilliant thing about the film is that these slightly trivial tropes mask extraordinarily deep and shifting understandings of social experiences. The superficiality, the privilege, and the sense of easy chemistry make sense with Glinda. But I feel like he’s yearning for something more, and, as Elphaba sees, he’s unhappy and depressed. Fiyero and Elphaba can click in terms of the way they sing, dance, and move together. Elphaba has a calming presence on Fiyero and allows him to be himself. It’s a real privilege to meet someone who sees you for who you really are.

Are there any songs from the second Wicked movie you are most excited about?

“No Good Deed”—I cannot wait to see that come together. And “Thank Goodness”—it’s just such an incredibly operatic, Wagnerian opening. We know how brilliant the girls are, and I’m so excited to see the tonal shift that will inevitably happen to get to the end of the story.

You’ve been leveraging the success of projects with massive, global appeal (Bridgerton, Wicked, the next Jurassic World) to return to the theater (like your next role in Richard II).How have you been balancing these big tentpole franchises with projects that feel more niche and intimate?

I always lead with joy, and I’ve never accepted a job cynically. It goes back to this instinct—it feels like romance—where you have butterflies in your stomach and clarity of thought. I go back to the stage because I want to get better—and I want to be the best I can be. The best performances I’ve ever given on screen have been directly after coming off stage, where you hone your craft every single night. It’s brilliant, joyful, academic, and exhausting.

I’ve read more scripts in the last four years than probably in 20 years of working. It’s amazing to get sent scripts that you’re like, “This is absolutely brilliant. It’s not quite right for me, but I wonder if I can help that get made.” I’ve got a producer's hat that’s been popped on a few times in the last year, and I’m sure it’ll be coming out to play soon.

I want to keep working until something like Fellow Travelers isn’t seen as niche. We’re only on this planet for a short time, but if Fellow Travelers can be a mainstream show by the time I’ve finished my innings, I’d be very happy.

The last time Bridgerton viewers saw Anthony and Kate, they were on their way to India to meet with Kate’s family. Now that those characters are married, what are some of the new layers you’ve found in their relationship?

Anthony and Kate are these two planets that have always been in orbit of each other, and they finally come together. But then, what is life beyond [their courtship]? What’s so interesting about Anthony and what I so enjoyed in his season one arc is his relationship with duty and the power that he wielded over Daphne and his family, the isolation that he felt, and the anger that ensues because of [the passing of] his father.

I always said that you want Anthony to smile, and he does with Kate; he’s found his soulmate. In season three, they have that playfulness and, for the first time, they disregard anything that’s going on around them. They were the heart of every bit of drama and complication and, my God, how dramatic it was! Now suddenly, they’re having the time of their life, getting to play games again. They’re having a baby—everything they’ve ever wanted. What’s brilliant is to see how there are elements of yourself that you can’t grow out of. So, maybe, we’ll see hints of Anthony from season one.

Source

[lil-melody-moon]

Thank you @lovely-menza for tagging me <3 This is the first time I'm doing such a post, as in, answering for questions in the post, without it being an ask game, so let's roll with it!

Are you named after anyone? Nope, my mom just heard the name on a party one day and she loved it ever since. And that's why I am named how I am named

When was the last time you cried? In the last year, quite a few months ago. It was connected with being laughed at by a close person due to him being after one beer and him not being able to drink at his age. And let's leave it at that

Do you have kids? Nope, but I would like to, if I find a good guy. I mean, I don't want a random weirdo or a creep in my life. I'm either getting a good guy or I'm living alone, without a care - I mean I have music...

Do you use sarcasm a lot? Only when i'm joking. Other than that, I'm brutally honest

What's the first thing you notice about people? Their eyes or smile. It's usually the eyes though. You can fake a smile, be more kinder with it, if you intend to do so. But eyes? You can't hide anything behind them. If you have bad intentions, it is shown in the way you look at someone. I usually am looking in the eyes when speaking to someone and when they speak to me I do the same. Let me tell you one thing - you can get scared shitless when you hear kind words and the person's eyes shine in a very bad way and you know they have bad intentions. I like to know if I'm safe or not

What's your eye colour? They are hazel. Once blue, the other time green, some other time gray blue or gray entirely or kinda white if I feel ill. Mom says that I usually have gray eyes when I'm very sleepy

Scary movies or happy endings? Happy endings. I like to see the adventure presented in the media I'm watching have a good ending. Additional point if I like the characters! Then it's double the fun to see them happy at the very end

Any special talents? Maybe it's not a special talent, but I can hear wrong notes in a song very often, catch the rhythm of the song - oh boy, if it's changing during the song then I have so much fun with listening to it! - and memorize the entire melody if I hear the song a lot of times. I literally sometimes sit and play the entire song in my head if it's too quiet. I did that on the last test on statistics! Hehe, silence in class and I was listening to Scars on Broadway in my head while counting - got an A, that proves something XD

Where were you born? Poland! I'm still living there and I don't plan on moving somewhere else - maybe to another city, but then again I don't wanna leave my parents behind so yeah (a little bit of babbling :3)

What are your hobbies? Listening to music, playing on guitar - I started playing in July in 2022, I'm not very good at it yet, but I have a lot of fun! - and maybe writing from time to time some fanfiction. I like creating ocs ^u^

Have you any pets? Yes, a female canary. She's my lovely orb of feathers, who has almost the same music taste as mine - oh GOD, I played "Alabama Song (Whisky Bar)" by The Doors yesterday on my phone to quickly clean and come back to watching a tv series. The feathery orb sung so loudly along with Jim Morrison and the rest! I wasn't expecting her to give such a bright concert ;u;

What sports do you play/have played? None, I am the person who hated sports XD

How tall are you? 162/164 cm I believe? I am fairly short

Favourite subject in school? Polish lessons. They were fun, despite that some of the school readings were boring. But I could listen to so much stories about the society in the past ages. This was interesting!

Dream job? Working in a library - I'm working hard to get to that goal

Tag 15 people... Let's see if I have so much mutuals XD @furiousbirdballoon @juliearchery107 @jimmysdragonsuit13 @malakianwhvre @explodingegg123 @itsdareeeh @cantag-curtis @diedeadenovgh @circle-bircle @w0rldl0ngg0ne That's all I can think of at the moment. If anyone stumbles upon this post and wants to join, feel free <3 The rest of tagged people? Join the fun if you want :3

[ashknife]

A Cheery Lot

Here's my contribution to the 2022 Inklings Christmas Challenge (@inklings-challenge). It's a little cyberpunk, and I incorporated song as the major image. I tried to do something that didn't involve somebody dying or experiencing extreme turmoil. Also, first-person. Hopefully, it worked out. Story after the break.

"Merry Christmas!" "Woot! It's Christmas!" "¡Feliz Navidad!" "Happy Holidays!" "Happy Christmas to everybody!"

The chat on my HUD is a constant stream of holiday wishes. The 25th is just hours away. It seems every shop and house I walk by is full of revelry and cheer. Some dance as they walk to the next party. Some exchange gifts. Some do some last-minute shopping. Some are so caught up in the ecstasy of the moment that they forget to find somewhere more private to celebrate. It's just like a normal night in the city, but with twice the energy. People here like to celebrate, but they do it harder when there's an actual celebration.

Blinking lights cover every building. Businesses augment their signs with holograms of reindeer, trees, and Santa. The usual stable music is set free to stampede our minds until we get sick of it, and then they sing it some more. There's so much to buy, and the sales just make it all that much more tempting. That new air fryer I've been looking at is now half off, but I don't need to get it for myself. Someone else will get it for me, and I will get them something they want. That's how Christmas works. I scratch your back, you scratch mine. Somehow, it's more rewarding to buy things for each other that we would have normally gotten on our own.

I am no different than the rest. I am on my way to a party thrown together by some coworkers. It's one of the few times we get to see each other. Oh, sure, we get a good look each day through our virtual meetings. These glasses we all wear really make that convenient. YumiCorp really did us a good turn developing these. I don't see how humanity got along without the steady stream of information these things provide. I like seeing what's in a building, having a map of where I'm going, being able to work while I go about my day, and watching the constant chatter of the city. Life without them is so boring and bland. Still, there's something different about talking to a warm body and not to a video.

And, like that, I receive a video call. It's Josephina, my manager, wearing a festive sweater and reindeer antlers, both with blinking lights.

"Hey, Henry! How's it going?"

"Hi, Josephina. I'm walking there right now."

"Great! It looks like you're on Broadway."

"Yeah. Just a few more blocks to go."

"You better hurry! The rest of the team is here, and the hors d’oeuvres are almost gone already."

"Should I pick up some snacks?"

"I ordered some more food, but a little more won't hurt."

The map of my walking route displayed a number of stores that were on the way.

"I'll pick up a few things, then."

"Thanks. See you soon!"

The video call disappears. I look at the suggested stores. Most of them are convenience stores, but this one here, Mitchell's, catches my attention. It looks like a hole-in-the-wall kind of place, but the few who've been seem to love it. I think I'll give it a go.

The store is just a few blocks away tucked under an apartment complex. I see why not many have been there: it has a small, faded sign that would be barely visible on a clear, sunny day. I would have missed it if the glasses didn't highlight the sign and front door. I descend the shallow steps to the door and struggle to pry it open. The wood scrapes against the cement as it finally gives, yielding a packed shop full of all kinds of things. I think the owner stuffed an entire Wal-mart into the space of a 7-Eleven, but they also managed it keep it clean and organized. What manner of sorcery is this?

"Irasshai!" I jump at the sudden, cheerful greeting. Standing behind the counter is a thin, balding Asian man with a colorful name tag labelling him as Mitchell. The glasses confirm this. Mitchell nods with an excited tic and a wide grin.

"A new customer!" he says. "I'm sorry if I made you jump. It's a greeting my family used at home a long time ago."

"Where was home?" I ask.

"Japan. Kyoto."

"Is that how you know how to stuff all this in here?" Mitchell nodded.

"Yes, sir! I have just about anything you could need. What are you looking for?"

"Snacks for a Christmas party."

"Of course, of course! Let me show you what we have."

Mitchell nimbly navigates his shop the way a librarian could find a book. He points out different kinds of finger foods for sale, and there were even some hot items I didn't notice before. Never had I seen such efficiency of space. Within minutes, I was carrying bags full of crackers, spreads, and warm tamales. I tap my glasses and make a note of this wonderful find of a place. I started to thank Mitchell when the lights went dark.

"Oh!" Mitchell says. Without missing a beat, he strikes a match and lights a candle. With that candle, he lights a few more, bathing the counter in a sort of eerie, dim light. It feels oddly cozy and comforting.

"It's not often the power goes out," he says. "Hopefully it isn't for too long."

"Right," I reply. "Thanks, Mitchell. I'll be back again."

"You are most welcome, honored guest!" He bows as I step out through the stubborn door.

I step back up to the sidewalk when I notice something: my route doesn't show up on the glasses. In fact, nothing is there but blank spaces. The glasses are on, but they aren't receiving any data. I look around. Darkness. Everywhere there should be lights, there is only inky black. I can hear the indistinct protesting of the crowds. It's hard to see with camera lights. It's cold outside. Frightened people lash out at pranksters who pretend to be ghosts for cheap laughs.

I can't go anywhere by standing around here, so I start toward Josephina's place. It wasn't far, and I have a decent memory, so I try to navigate the streets from that. I'm pretty sure there was a left turn here, and then a right turn there, and it was just few blocks this way down 8th Street...

Wait. This doesn't look like the residential area Josephina lives in. This looks way different. Everythhing looks older, worn, run down. Is this...the ghetto? Was it always this close? I look around to see where I am at, but I cannot make out anything like a familiar landmark or a street sign in this darkness. Am I lost? I am lost. I don't know where to go from here.

Voices. Voices coming from around the corner. It sounds like singing. What should I do? I could ask them for help, but what if they're dangerous? But they're singing. It doesn't sound like trouble. It's risk danger for help or stand here and slowly freeze. I walk closer to the corner where the voices are coming from. I see the faint reflection of light coming from a building across the street. The voices are clearer, coming from a lot. The light flickers, and there is a scent of something burning, like Mitchell's match and candles, but somehow pleasant. I walk to the lot. There is a group of people standing around a couple of barrels. There is a fire in each, and a ring of people surrounds them. Some of the people hold out their gloved hands trying to absorb the warmth of the fires. A stack of logs sits in between the barrels. One of the larger men steps forward, grabs a couple of logs, and throws them into the barrels, one in each. Within a few moments, the fires blaze a little brighter. They're singing Christmas carols. I know them from the music that normally plays all day, but there are no instruments or bass dropping or anything normally broadcast. It's just their voices ringing out into the dark, dead night.

When they had finished their current song, someone pointed at me, and they all turned to see their intruder. They motioned me to join them, so I stepped closer to the fire.

"Hey, man, you don't look like you're from around here," one of the men say.

"Uh, no, I'm not. I live downtown," I say. Amazed chatter followed, accented with "oos" and "ahs."

"Get lost?"

"Yeah. Yeah, I did."

"Where you headed?"

"Parker Street."

"You're about ten blocks off course."

"I see."

There was an awkward silence. A woman joined the group from the dark street.

"Joe's been called out," she says. "Someone got a hold of some fireworks and set them off by a substation. Power'll be out for a couple of hours."

"All that info, and not a lick of common sense," a man says. The group grunts in agreement and shakes their heads. I want to protest, but I wouldn't be here if I really knew where I was going and wasn't dependent on these glasses. I take them off and look at them.

"Hey, four-eyes," a man calls out. I look up. I feel a chill breeze and shiver. I don't belong here.

"Y-yeah?" I say.

"You got a favorite carol?"

"Oh, you don't need to worr--"

"No, man, you're our guest."

"Oh. I..." I had to think for a moment. I never really gave that much thought before. It all kind of blurs together every year. Everyone seems so blissful and happy and cheerful. I guess there was that one upbeat song about comfort and joy, but I never really heard anything but that part.

"There's one that's about comfort and joy, I think?" I offer.

They all nod their heads. Some say it's a good one.

The man who asked starts them off. "God rest ye," and then they all take hold and sing the entire song. A song of faith, joy at the coming of a savior. I never heard such things before. I tried to sing with them, but I couldn't keep up with them except at that chorus part. I looked around uncomfortably and noticed that there was a tree bedecked with a few ornaments and a string of lights. A real one, not something that the glasses tacked on. Next to it was a table with a small plate of food. I approach the tree as they sang. I touch the needles but jerk my hand back as they poke it. I didn't think they would be so sharp. I reach out again and grit through the uncomfortable feeling. It smelled of pine. Of course, it did. But it was a real scent, not something coming from a candle or spray. I could feel the weight of the wood and the sticky sap in each whiff. If the power had not been out, this tree would be illuminated by the pathetic string of lights and the star that crowned the top. It would have been a warm and welcoming sight, especially for these people. This was nothing like the celebrations I walked past earlier.

I could go to Mitchell's again later, or maybe some other store. I brought out the food I bought and set it out on the table. The tamales had cooled some but still held a little warmth, which I offered to the gathered crowd when they had finished singing. I've seen people excited over a meal before, but I've never seen such joy as each person caressed their warm tamal and peeled it open to eat. They hail me as some sort of hero, half-mockingly, and the other half genuine. I brought them cheer. No, that's not right. They already had cheer. I simply accented it.

They crack jokes, tell stories, and ask questions. They want to know what I do. They talk about their hard lives. I am far away from family, but they cherish theirs daily. Some say this is the finest food they've ever had. I don't know what to say. When they finish eating, more logs enter the fires, and the singing begins anew, well-fed and grateful for it. I keep up the best that I can, fully aware that I never really paid attention to music as anything more than background noise. Time loses its meaning, and for a short while, I am adopted into this community. I feel blessed.

After some time, the lights return to the city. People cheer as their tree also lights up with the surrounding buildings. Strings of bulbs alight overhead with no real pattern. They shine over the lot with the little bit of magic they hold. I feel a buzzing in my pocket. I pull out my glasses and put them on. A flurry of activity pours through, and Josephina is calling.

"Henry?"

"Yeah?"

"Oh, good! You're alright! Did you get lost?"

"No. Well, yes. I did. But I ended up at someone else's party while the power is out."

"We're still going here, telling ghost stories, if you want to come."

"It's getting a bit late out as it is. I'll have to take a rain check."

"I get you. Sorry it didn't work out!"

She waves bye and hangs up. I rejoin the party I found myself in. I think tonight, I found the better place to be.

[frankterranella]

It was a long wait, but Broadway is back!

In September 2019 I saw a full page advertisement in the Sunday Times for a planned revival of "The Music Man" starring Hugh Jackman. My wife is a big fan of Hugh Jackman ever since we saw him on Broadway in "The Boy From Oz" many years ago. So since our wedding anniversary was coming up, I sprang for the $270 tickets (the most I have paid or ever will pay for a Broadway show). The tickets arrived in January 2020 with a performance date in November 2020. I put them away.

And then in March 2020, along came Covid-19.

At the outset, I had no doubt that everything would be over in time for me to see the show in November 2020. I went back to work in my Manhattan office in June 2020, but Broadway shows did not resume. On June 24, 2020, I received a notice that the show was being postponed, and my new tickets were for June 2021. I thought that was a very conservative date that should not be a problem. Again, I put the tickets away.

And then along came the Delta variant and its subsequent waves. Still I thought that June 2021 performances should not be affected.

But in October 2020, I got a notice that the show had been again postponed. This time the producers were taking no chances. My June 2021 tickets were replaced by new ones for March 2022.

And so it was that yesterday, after waiting 30 months, I finally got to see Hugh Jackman in "The Music Man."

A packed theater was primed and more than ready to welcome this wonderful show, and the applause was plentiful. It wasn't all business as usual though. Outside the theater we had to show vaccination proof, and inside the theater we had to wear masks at all times with ushers doing double duty as mask police.

But it was so great to be back in a Broadway theater hearing an orchestra play and seeing theater professionals sing and dance to Meredith Wilson's marvelous score.

I have seen "The Music Man" on Broadway before, and I grew up with the movie starring Robert Preston. At this point, I often know the lines before the actors say them. But for me that heightens rather than takes away from the enjoyment, just as it does when I go to the opera. I anticipate the greatness coming and savor it. The highlight in "The Music Man" for me is always the footbridge scene where Marion the Librarian professes her love for the flimflam music professor, Harold Hill, with the song "Till There was You." Sutton Foster did not disappoint me. She sang it beautifully. The top of my mask was damp with tears.

Next month, I am seeing two other Broadway revivals -- "Funny Girl" and "Plaza Suite." These are very special because unlike "The Music Man," they are first-time Broadway revivals of shows that debuted more than a half century ago. Broadway is visiting its past these days, and I am happy to catch shows I missed the first time around. As we reach the two-year anniversary of the Covid-19 shutdown, it's clear that Broadway is back!