#jeremy jordan has one of the most gorgeous voices! i love love love him. this is on repeat rn

[cursivebloodlines]

I've done it all for her Put up each wall for her All the plans I laid All the options weighed Every price I paid for her I went to war for her Braved foreign shore for her Bottled up the guilt Then I went full tilt Rivaled Vanderbilt for her

Daisy You fight and return Only to learn That you have lost her Daisy My waiting is through If you bring her to me I'll be indebted to you

I've come so far for her The finest caviar for her Everything I own Every party thrown All the nights alone for her

Daisy She slipped through my hands No one understands How she has changed me Daisy I need one more chance If you bring her to me I will know at a glance

This could turn for me And I can guarantee When all is done I'll be Forever in your debt This time I won't let go Help me to make it so Try as one might, you know that There is no forgetting her

Daisy You fight and return Only to learn That you have lost her Daisy I need one more chance Am I chasing a dream? I will know at a glance

I've done it all for her Put up each wall for her But the status quo Just one piece to go Now she has to know It's all for her

[barblaz-arts]

Ok I lied, one more Hazbin character ask.🙏

Thoughts on Lucifer, Carmilla, Rosie, and Adam?

Lucifer

I love love love him. Terrible dad tho! Lmfaoo

Genuinely think Charlie let him off the hook too easy for all the neglect imo. It's kinda weird how most of the fandom suddenly thinks he's a great dad. He's okay at best, tbh. Just because he has a gorgeous singing voice(Jeremy Jordan is the fuckin BEST man) and a silly personality doesn't mean everything's swell. I hope the second season further tackles this. I remember someone saying before that Lucifer resembled a dad who accidentally had a baby as a teen and doesn't actually know how to be a father and I haven't forgotten about how accurate that is. Still tho! Great character! I'm not even exactly mad about him being popular, just a little bothered by how he's viewed by most people. I hope the show has him do more than sing a musical number to EARN Charlie's forgiveness

Carmilla

I love her, even if the way her character is written is a little, um, how do I say it? Weird? Doesn't make sense sometimes.

Like how she's a demon Overlord who sells weapons but has a line that goes "I always thought that I would keep blood off my face". So does that mean she's never killed anyone before? Or maybe she swore off killing at some point? If she's only ever taken a life to protect her daughters, what sin did she commit to get her to end up in Hell, with her daughters no less. I have my speculations, but with how little we know about her, speculations don't change the fact that Carmilla is a strangely written character. She has some moments that are just questionable choices from the writers too. Like, how they had Carmilla point out how obvious Vaggie's nature is, making Charlie's feelings of betrayal look a little stupid on Charlie's part. Or how Carmilla sang to Vaggie that she should focus on love and not revenge, even though all Vaggie has ever thought about is protecting Charlie while never showing any signs of even thinking about getting back at Lute. Such a strange character. I hope she makes more sense next season when we get to see more of her, because I truly do love her. If this is never tackled though and I just happen to be overthinking, it's fine. I still like her anyways.

Rosie

A really sweet lady for a, um, cannibal. I can never get behind the fact that she and the other characters eat people RAW though! No matter how beautiful she is, the hotness factor is knocked down as long as you don't clean, cook, and season your food, maam. Nasty.

I hope we see more of her relationship with Charlie though. People keep talking about how Carmilla and Vaggie are similar, but I feel we should talk about her similarities with Charlie too. Throughout the show Charlie is ridiculed and given no respect by her people because of her sweet nature and jolly disposition, but here Rosie is being all those things and yet has a whole town to lead! I hope them meeting is set up to have Charlie learn even more from her.

Adam

Oh man he vexes me lol I don't completely hate him, because he has some funny moments, and kickass songs, and the OG Broadway Beetlejuice voices him, but he's suuuuuch an asshooooole. He's not even the kind of villain that you still like to see and romanticize even when he's evil. At least to me. I think my brother explained accurately why. He hates Adam in fact, and that's because his attitude and personality is too accurate to incels that you can see in real life. I enjoyed him as the first season's villain, but I do NOT want him coming back somehow as a sinner like others want. I want him to stay dead. It's Lute's turn to be the new big bad. I still have Pentious if I want more Alex Brightman anyway.

[terrainofheartfelt]

Gossip Girl Playlists: Theatre Kid AU edition!—Dan’s

[Blair’s] [Nate’s] [Serena's]

I don’t even remember exactly how this started, but it’s @strideofpride’s fault. 

The concept began as: if they were in this world, what would be in the GG mains’ MT books? What would be their go-to song? Their 16 bar cut? And then, I got on spotify, and got wayyyy too carried away (typical me), and it sort of morphed into: what are the NJBC’s (plus Daniel’s) senior musical theatre recital programs? And now I have this: a quartet of playlists of repertoire handpicked by me for these fake people, and I am very proud of them. 

All selections based on my very particular taste, honed from a childhood in community theater, an adolescence in high school musicals, and a 4 year degree from a majority musical theatre school

And, as in the tradition of Glee and all plays within a play, the rep reflects something profoundly personal about the character, because you know I love a theme. 

Oh Danny boy, my darling. In MT land, he has…sort of the inverse of Nate’s conundrum. He is Leading Man Material, but he gets kind of shoehorned into character stuff because he’s just good at his job. But – come on, this guy? He’s a romantic, and he SHINES in the ~romance~ 

Like, we should always keep talking about he and blair playing opposite each other in all the shows in all the aus amen. 

Like, we should always keep talking about he and blair playing opposite each other in all the shows in all the aus amen. 

His type: the wide-ranging baritenor. He can go low, and there’s an understated richness to his voice that lends itself to that, but I see Dan having the vocal control to do less “singy” roles as well. I think he ends up leaning more into tenor than Nate, like in classical crossover he’d sit just that much higher, but his voice is bigger, which is how I’m justifying the Street Scene song below. Also, in listening to Badgley sing other stuff, he can do that hook into his falsetto and come back belting and it’s hella tender and hella sexy.  And, by nature of his background plus the training a degree would give him, Dan can navigate a wide range of styles, which is hwy of the playlists, this one is…the most all over the place, but I have a reason for all of it, I swear, which is: I do what I want. 

Also: musician!Dan my beloved. He would play piano and guitar and mayhaps…another instrument?

References: Aaron Tveit (lol I know. Cousin Tripp. That guy); Jeremy Jordan; Steven Pasquale; Zachary Levi; Mandy Patinkin; and another guy I know from college, he came into my voice studio for a masters in opera but when he left he could do anything from a gorgeous lyric tenor to Che in Evita and Angel in Rent (he could sing the shit out of them, but those roles shan’t appear in this playlist, because this guy is latino and Dan is not. You know what I mean)

the tracklist:

Tonight at Eight — She Loves Me

Another instance of “S is always right” seriously go read her theatre kid au. 

After months of exchanging letters with his penpal (unbeknownst to him, his workplace nemesis), Georg anxiously awaits meeting her. Tonight. At eight. 

Something’s Coming — West Side Story

Dan is Leading Man Agenda. 

Tony’s best friend Riff convinces him to come to the Dance at the Gym tonight, and Tony, to quote the prophet billy shakes “dream’d a dream” about it

I Could Be in Love with Someone Like You — The Last Five Years

JRB songs are too long when you’re sitting in studio class, but damn. they fuck. 

And for how cynical I got over this musical in college (because every bitch sings Still Hurting), it is a fantastic and clever piece. It’s the story of a couple, from falling in love to marrying to falling apart, told chronologically from Jamie’s perspective, and reverse-chronologically from Cathy’s perspective. 

It’s also semi-autobiographical. A semi-autobiographical work about a star crossed couple and their breakup GEE SOUND FAMILIAR?!

Anyways, this song was replaced after the workshop with “Shiska Goddess”—which was the correct choice, but I like the character study in this song. 

At the beginning of their relationship, Jamie is starting to fall for Cathy, and her Irish heritage may or may not have something to do with it. 

Wondering — The Bridges of Madison County

Again, I love this musical so much. I am a stan, I will accept no criticism. 

After an “almost kiss” kind of moment with the kind woman he meant in the countryside, Robert ponders the moment and the chemistry he felt. With one of the most unhinged (compliment) bridges (pun not intended) in MT. daircore

Leave — Once

It’s guitar!dan time! You think theatre kid dan wouldn’t be all about Once?

(also it’s one of my favorite musicals and OCRs so it gets a whole set. My house.)

Guy’s first big solo, written and performed coming off being dumped. 

Say It to Me Now — Once

Guy plays an audition for a banker of all people, to get a loan so he can take his demo from Dublin to NYC

Falling Slowly (duet w/ Blair) — Once

Guy’s sworn off music, but when a Girl finds sheet music in his jacket, she cajoles him into playing it with her. 

Up on the Roof — Beautiful: The Carole King Musical

I’ve got a lot of opinions on jukebox musicals, mostly that we have enough of them. If Sara Bareilles and Ingrid Michaelson can write originals then no one else has any excuse. But this one is good. Because it’s Carol. 

This is the James Taylor number of the show. So of course Dan has to sing it. 

One Song Glory — Rent

As an Opera Person, I will always harbor a soft spot for 90s rock La Boheme. And it really fits Dan’s son-of-a-90s-rocker schtick doesn’t it?

And like, I think it’s easy to get corny about it, like, we all sang seasons of love at high school graduation, but it really is a masterwork. Andrew Garfield Jonathan Larson was a genius. And, like Boheme, people get swept in the ~romance~ and have to be reminded of how fucking raw it is. 

Like I didn’t really understand this song until I saw the show in undergrad, and sung by a guy who was just — born for it. He and Aaron Tveit. They get what it means. 

Roger is a musician living with HIV and depression (and his documentarian roommate and bff Mark), and is convinced that he won’t be alive very much longer, and all he wants is to write just one song that he can be remembered for. 

Lonely House — Street Scene

Street Scene is a show that plays jump rope with the line between opera and musical theatre, and it really just depends on the singer. Dan would, have big enough classical chops to sing this, but give it a more mt bent, which I wouldn’t hate. 

As someone who leans more on the side of classical in my preferences, sometimes I think operatic tenors overdo it on this song. Honestly if companies didn’t make up the stupid ass rule that every voice type has to have a contemporary aria in their package, operatic tenors wouldn’t sing this as much as they do. But that’s a rant for another time. 

And I remember a colleague singing this to close out a recital program, and we were in this church that had one (1) door, and after he sung, during the outro, he walked right out the door. And it ROCKED. So I think it’s a good act closer. 

Sam lives in an apartment block packed with people, but doesn’t really have anyone.

She Loves Me — She Loves Me

Recital act two opener let’s goooooo

Georg finds out who his penpal is. And he has Feelings about it. 

So in Love — Kiss Me, Kate

Another enemies to lovers plot! or well, lovers to enemies to lovers again. 

This is the reprisal to the song Lilli sings at the beginning of the show, now sung by her ex husband, Fred. His italicized oh moment. 

And the music & lyrics are….sexc

Hero and Leander — Myths and Hymns

Another Adam Guettel offering! Do I have an agenda? Only to be an evil dictator of taste.

Speaking of, this song cycle/revue is such a rare gem that a decent recording of a decent singer is so hard to find, that I had to settle for the mashup Tveit did in his 54 below show. So, when you get to this track, if you want to skip the first…minute and 30 seconds, then you’ll get straight to this song. 

(the first one is from Next to Normal, and is beautifully sung of course, it’s just irrelevant in terms of this playlist

— bc while Tveit could sing Gabe in his 20s, I don’t think Dan Humphrey could.) 

It’s got that falsetto hook that I just know Dan would be good at. 

This show doesn’t have a plot, it’s a revue, so each song is like its own contained story. This one is about the myth of Hero and Leander. 

Leander would swim across the sea every night to meet with his lover Hero, until the gods sent a storm, and on one of his nightly swims, he drowns. Those greek myths amirite. 

When We Dance (trio w/ Blair & Nate) — The Last Ship

Another selection from Sting’s opus that deserves more love!

I think if you’re looking at this meta-wise, Dan’s character is more in line with the other male lead—steady, supportive, romantic, the “right” choice, but hey, they’re Acting, and musically, the main guy’s part is better. And this trio is just sooooo pretty. 

And it can be ot3-esque if you want it to be (I know I do).

After running away from his tiny shipbuilding hometown, Gideon returns fifteen years later to make his move on the girl he left behind, Meg. she’s having none of it, she has a new man (Arthur), and a kid that’s fifteen years old give or take nine months. Her new man also pleads his case. 

One Second and a Million Miles (duet w/ Blair)  — The Bridges of Madison County

Thee big duet of the show. Facing the end of their time alone together, Robert proposes that Francesca come with him when he leaves town. It’s just—promise me you’ll listen to it. There’s nothing like it. “If I Loved You” MAYBE. But nothing else like it. 

Later — A Little Night Music

My guy would absolutely have a sondheim set in his recital I just know it in my heart.

(I’ve seen guys sing this song and play the cello part live themselves, so, why not Dan?)

It’s a complicated domestic drama about a privileged family and all their internal troubles (sound familiar?)

Henrik, a lawyer’s son & lutheran seminary student, is an over-serious over-thinker, and now he’s got to fucking deal with his dad marrying a woman who’s younger than him—and yikes I just realized how close this hits god fucking help me. 

ANYWAYS this is staged with Henrik either actually playing the cello or just miming it, and I find that. very attractive.

Losing My Mind — Follies

Originally written for Dorothy Collins for a women's role, Jeremy Jordan gave a cabaret performance that still blows me away every time I listen. 

And it is BIG Daniel Humphrey Professional Yearner energy

Sally, a former star of the Ziegfield Follies, sings this ballad about Ben, the one that got away. (dairfair vibes, if you will?)

Move On (duet w/ Serena) — Sunday in the Park with George

Probably one of thee best songs in the MT zeitgeist.

It gets me every.single.time

George Seurat (french pointillist) and his lover Dot have a great grandson also named George, who is also an artist struggling to just fucking make something. 

Dot appears to him in a vision, speaks to him like he’s her George (I mean they’re both Mandy Patinkin, so), and they exchange the most poignant lyrics about art and creativity that have ever been written. Oh, Stephen <3

Being Alive — Company

You might say that this one is overdone, but when it’s done well, it always Hits.

and you KNOW Dan would do it right. 

The always single Bobby, in the midst of his paired off friends, rails at the futility of romantic relationships until he finally admits what he really wants: that. 

Don’t Stop — Fleetwood Mac

Because he has to sing an encore with Jenny. Come on, him at the piano, Jen sitting next to him, I can see it :)

[slashingdisneypasta]

Can you recommend some musicals? I never watched a musical 😱😂

Oh!! !!

Okay so the only musicals I've actually seen are Aladdin, Wizard of Oz, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory in theatre. And Come From Away via bootleg on YouTube. But I do listen to a lot of musicals, so... I'm gonna recommend from whatever I'm familiar with, is that okay? Hah ^^

If you like a splash of HISTORY with your showtunes:

Bonnie & Clyde || Blues, Gospel and Rockabilly: A D E F I N E T E personal favourite of mine. Oh my god, I love it. Aside from romanticising criminals, its amazing! Beautiful music, and multiple love stories to actually enjoy ^^ - if you can separate it from the real thing. I know some people cant and are uncomfortable with stuff like that (Especially with Lizzie, which I'm gonna talk about after Hamilton) but if you just enjoy Jeremy Jordan and Laura Osnes you're good XD

Hamilton || Hip Hop- I just put this here because everyone (Seemingly, except me) love it and you probably will too! ^^

Lizzie || Punk Rock Opera: Another All Girl musical! Cuz we can never have enough of these ^^ This time its about Lizzie Borden and her murdering her father and her stepmother in 1892 (So this isn't everyone's cup of tea, obviously). I'm loving it at the moment though because, again, the actor's voices are all gorgeous, and emotive, and music is amazingly written and passionate.

Six || British Pop music: This is about Henry the Eighths 6 wives (Divorced, Beheaded, Died, Divorced, Beheaded, Survived) and what happened to them. It involves them explaining THEIR side of the story (Whether its historically accurate or not) and trying to decide 'Who had it worst?'. Its just... so much girl power, and the costumes are so colourful and cool, and the actors are all so t a l e n t e d, and are all very cool too ^^

If you like VILLAINS- which you probably do. You are here on this blog after all ^^ :

Be More Chill || Pop Rock: Hooooly crap, the Squip (Super Quantum Intel Processor) is hot. Way too hot. Its no far. He's literally a computer. But anyway, the musical (And book) is about this teenage boy that climbs the ranks of school social hierarchy by swallowing down a pill from Japan that has a supercomputer in it designed to help him get popular and 'more chill'. Its very popular and for good reason- I definitely recommend 'The Squip Song', if nothing else!

Beetlejuice: If you didn't like the movie version of BJ, you might actually like this one! Alex Brightman's version is a little less totally disgusting, while still upkeeping that familiar gross, flirty vibe that defines him.

Heathers || Rock: Whether you listen to the original Broadway cast or the West End version, you get a myriad of antagonistic/villainous characters to choose from, varying from the lunkhead football players, to bitchy 90's Mean Girls, to the man of the hour JD who is basically Billy Loomis with pyromaniacal tendencies. This is another one about a teenager climbing the ranks of social hierarchy in highschool- but this time, with murder.

Mean Girls || Rock: Basically, modern Heathers! Regina George is a super villain in her own right, e s e p e c i a l l y in the musical version of the story. Songs like 'Apex Predator' and 'World Burn' really give her that impressive, badass, wicked energy that sets your villain senses alight haha XD

Moulin Rouge || Pop : Oh my god oh my god, my favourite. This is Jukebox musical which means its made entirely of covers of pre-existing songs (Highlights from Katy Perry, Elton John and Pink feature) mushed together to make a story. The Duke is the villain in this story and he is such an evil, possessive Sugar Daddy. Like a Disney Villain with actual sexual references.

If you want your heart warmed!:

Come From Away || Traditional Musical Theatre styles and Traditional Nefoundland orchestrations: Okay I know I said Moulin Rouge was my favourite... but Come From Away is REALLY my favourite. This is about 9/11, but not the violent parts. This is about all those passengers in planes that day that survived, but couldn't touch down in the USA that day so had to stay in Canada. It follows multiple storylines with (Real life) people dealing with what has happened and what could have happened to them, among other things. Okay my description has done nothing for this magnificent show but trust me, its fricken magnificent.

Legally Blonde: Okay I think most of us are familiar with Legally Blonde but in case you aren't!- An 'air head blonde' works hard and gets into Law school in order to prove to 'the love of her life' that she is serious, until she realises that he is a piece of crap and that she actually likes Law and that she can help people with this and beats him out in classes. Its just *chefs kiss*. We stan women being themselves and being as feminine as they goddamn like and that not having anything to do with their IQ.

~

I also recommend & Juliet (Juke Box musical; 'If Juliet didn't die at the end': Representation), and 35MM (Theirs some REALLY GOOD, DARK stuff in there).

[ambitionsource]

did you guys ever have voice casts for the characters? like people/singers you think the characters would sound like n all that? if so would you mind sharing them?

This is such an interesting question... admittedly, Es and I hadn’t really thought about it! We especially just think about the actual actors for those who already sing, but we can provide a couple other samples for each person if it intrigues you to know! Let’s see...

FARKLE | Corey actually does sing -- though not often in this version of reality -- but I do believe he has some professional training. We think of this song he’s recorded in particular, which I think is a really good example of how he sounds circa S1 in my head (this song is actually a bop. The YT version cuts out like 20 seconds too early but I found a version on Tumblr last year that was full so now I have it on my phone LMAO let’s go 2015 Corey). Anyway, it’s that pretty stereotypical power tenor vibe. A couple more comparisons I suggest are:

Jonathan Groff -- I think Jonathan Groff is the best comparison I can make. He’s theatrical, he has a pretty impressive range, but he rests pretty comfortably in the natural tenor range. Like he can do Kristoff one minute and King George from Hamilton the next, and I think that is equitable to Farkle’s range. The man key is that he’s a powerful vocalist. I think Farkle’s true center of his voice has a higher resting place than Groff, but it’s close enough. Example track: Bohemian Rhapsody. One of Glee’s best and an amazing display of Groff’s vocal range in one track. Farkle could match this beat for beat, flair for flair.

Chris Colfer -- I think that the flair Chris Colfer brings to a lot of his performances on Glee match well to Farkle’s vocal stylings as well (which is why he’s done a few performances with that version), but to be clear, I think Colfer’s voice is softer / higher than Farkle’s. It’s more about... emotion and inflection here than tone. Example track: Not the Boy Next Door. Farkle did this on the show, so you know we endorse it. This was also the track Esther brought up when I asked for her opinion.

Brendon Urie -- I think that Urie’s range is really akin to Farkle’s. I don’t think Farkle has at all the same kind of flair or inflection that Urie does (and Farkle is obviously more Broadway than radio), but on certain tracks I think it’s pretty cross applicable. Example track: Dying In LA

I’ll continue this under a read more to spare everyone who doesn’t want to read on because clearly this will be lengthy LOL.

RILEY | I have not heard Rowan sing since the thinly attached source material theme song days, so I honestly don’t think of her much as Riley’s voice (though I think she could do it if trained for it). Especially because of all the mains, Riley is one of the ones who is meant to be less trained and unimposing. For me, the most important quality to Riley’s voice is that it’s not overwhelming. It’s beautiful, and leaves an impact when you listen, but it’s never going to be Maya or Zay’s big, brassy vocals. And that’s fine. That’s what makes it unique in the landscape of the show (and why it appeals to Lucas rather than turns him away). A couple more comparisons I suggest are:

Amanda Seyfried -- I admittedly only know Seyfried’s work in the first Mamma Mia film, but she has the right delicate soprano that I envision Riley having. It’s like... a lilting, soft thing that’s enjoyable to listen to but can escalate into strong belting if needed and handle it effectively enough. Example track: Thank You For Music. Literally a perfect track for Riles.

Phillipa Soo -- Another great example of a powerful soprano player. Case in point enough that we’ve had Riley do a Eliza Hamilton song on the show already. Gentle and gorgeous, but sharp and intense when it needs to be. Example track: Burn.

mxmtoon -- First of all, let this be my plug that everyone should listen to mxmtoon. I love her. She has this lovely gentle voice and her instrumentation is so good. Her EP dusk is gorgeous and I cannot recommend it enough. But she is a great non-theater example of what I think Riley’s voice is like. She varies between ukulele and piano, and everything is just really understated and nice. Example track: show and tell.

MAYA | This is easy. I literally don’t have to say like anything. She just is Sab. That’s it. Like Sab is a phenomenal vocalist and she’s brassy and bold and has range and that’s all Maya is. Like literally that’s it LOL. If you need examples, hit her discography, but I’ll specifically highlight “Sue Me,” “Looking At Me,” and “Diamonds Are Forever” aka the Sab songs we’ve had her do on the show.

ZAY | Zay is an interesting one, because I don’t really think he fits any specific category in my head. He kind of defies definition. He definitely has a brassy swing to him that allows him to pull off showstopping numbers (like his Kossal audition with “Ain’t No Way”), but he can pull it back and reshape it to fit breathtaking musical theater renditions (like “Music and the Mirror”) or banging contemporary (think “Consideration” or “Self Control”) in a way that I don’t think Farkle or Maya can. He is the most vocally versatile of the bunch, and that makes his comparisons sort of wide-reaching as well. I’m not really familiar with Amir’s vocal ability outside of rap (so at least we know he can do that), but based purely on what I hear in my imagination, a few comparisons:

Leslie Odom Jr. -- A younger and less polished Odom, to be clear, but this is a big one for me. I think Odom’s vocal strength and range is so impressive, and what really strikes me is how... grounded and resonant his voice is. That’s a big thing for Zay for me -- you never doubt he’ll be able to support his vocals and that they’re strongly rooted. If he ever cracked or ran out of breath, it would be a shock. This is also really tied to Zay because of how much I would kill to see him perform “Wait For It” and how I feel like it’s such a Zay song. But anywho... Example track: Wait For It.

Frank Ocean -- Ocean has such a cool interesting range and does a lot of things with his performances vocally, so that’s why he’s on here in that he also defies definition. I think Zay also considers Ocean a musical inspiration, so it makes sense that he would adopt or emulate some of his style. I feel like he also translates emotion well, which is a key Zay trait too. Example track: Godspeed.

Amber Riley -- Now hear me out here. Obviously, Zay is a baritone and Amber is like a mezzo soprano / alto / what have you, but the reason I’m listing this Glee legend as a comp is because the quality of her performances is so sharp. It’s like, any time Amber performed on the show it was jawdropping. Her vocal runs are insane, the power behind her vocals is awe-inspiring. She captivates you from the first note, and that is why I always think of Zay. That’s how it is when he performs too, especially in moments where he’s trying to sell it (like his Kossal audition). I wouldn’t be giving my authentic comparisons if I didn’t mention this. So there. Example track: And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going (I would sell my soul to see Zay perform this. Please. PLEASE. Maybe I’ll crowdsource with Charlie and we’ll both sell our kidneys).

CHARLIE | Speaking of Charlie, he’s an interesting one, too. I honestly didn’t really... have a concept of how he sounded in my head, but then when I learned that Tanner sings, it was not at all whatever was deep in my head. But I love his voice, so I think I kind of ended up reconfiguring my perception of what Charlie sounds like around that revelation and now I’m still kind of trying to figure out exactly what that sounds like in the context of the show. The thing is, though, I think Charlie also doesn’t really know what his style is (LMAO), so it’s okay that we’re experimenting a little bit. Like in S1, the few times he sang, it was all over the place but mainly radio. Then in S2, he did predominantly musical theater duets. And now in S3, we’ve really just gone all over the map (from punk-rock opera with “Superstar” to bubblegum pop with “Party For One”) and there’s a lot of fun in that. Where Charlie will land, I don’t know yet, but I will share with you all Tanner’s only recorded song at this point and you all can start to orient yourselves from there. But a few other ideas to get the ball rolling:

Norbert Leo Butz -- Now here’s the thing... Charlie doesn’t sound like this LOL. The reason I’m including Butz is because I started writing about Jeremy Jordan and his rendition of “If I Didn’t Believe In You” and Jordan’s rendition is truly just so inferior that I realized no, I really don’t think Charlie sounds like Jeremy Jordan. So then I ended up here, and you know what, here’s the thing. I think an older Charlie would sound like Norbert Leo Butz. Like, give him 10 or so years, and this is where he’ll settle. To a degree at least -- I don’t think he’ll ever go quite as brassy or bold as Butz can lean sometimes, but the way he like... emotes through his vocals feels extremely Charlie, and the range is about right in terms of voice part. Anyway, give him 10 years, and then get to the point with this amazing example track that is one of my favorite musical theater tracks ever even though I hate the character who sings it. Example track: If I Didn’t Believe In You.

Oshima Brothers -- The shape of the O bros vocals don’t quite match how I hear Charlie in my head (they’re a bit too flat), but the essence of their performances resonate with him very strongly. It’s that gentle, soft-spoken acoustic vibe that I think is so core to Charlie’s performing delivery, which is part of why he’s so consistently overlooked even when he proves time and time again that he can bring compelling vocals (i.e. Haverford’s semi-finals setlist). Example track: Cadence.

Harry Styles -- It’s funny to think that if Charlie saw I was comparing him to Harry Styles he would lose his shit, but I want to be very specific about why and under what conditions I’m including him as a comparison (as he’ll show up on another person’s list too). I think Styles specifically works as a comp for Charlie in regards to the general tone and quality of his voice, in particular when it is on a softer acoustic (like “Cherry” or “Sweet Creature”) and when it’s more upbeat (like “Lights Up”). Like I’m not out here being like Charlie is as good as Harry Styles LOL, but I think the core qualities of their voices are similar. Especially when cross-compared with the other examples above along with Tanner’s actual voice. Example track: Sweet Creature.

ISADORA | Isadora is an anomaly of sorts, since she’s that character archetype where they never expected to be a singer but then ended up being talented anyway (Asher is in the same box). I tend to imagine her with a defined alto register, and a slightly huskier, gravelly tone as compared to Maya’s polished, trained vocals and Riley’s gentle, chime-like resonance. So it’s like... gritty, in a way? I have never heard Ceci sing, though I’ve been told she has once upon a time, but I am working basically from scratch in regards to how I imagine her. So without further ado, some comparisons I suggest:

Jorja Smith -- I think Jorja is the most Isa-like track we’ve had her do on the show thus far, to my brain at least. She has this charming edge to her vocals even when they’re on the softer side which is exactly what I envision for her, and I think there’s such a strong definition to when she jumps into her lower register. Whereas with Isa, I think it would be the same, but reaching into her upper notes would be even more of an audible stretch. Example track: Don’t Watch Me Cry.

Dua Lipa -- Another strong alto here, which automatically tracks Isadora for me. Dua especially has that husky quality I was describing. I would recommend all of her Live Acoustic EP to get a sense of what I’m highlighting most as a comparable, but it’s just that like... slight grit, gonna-kick-your-ass alto excellence. It’s so hard to articulate so I hope you get what I’m saying LOL. Example track: Tears Dry On Their Own Acoustic.

Madison Reyes -- I don’t know how many of y’all have watched Julie and the Phantoms yet, but it’s fun. And Madison has a great voice, which made her another good comp for Isadora. Same thing of like that unpolished but compelling belter, slightly gravelly quality. Example track: Wake Up.

LUCAS | Obviously, Lucas doesn’t sing all that often. And when we do give him songs, or roles in songs, most of the time it’s of a variation where he can more talk-sing the words than actually Sing. But he’s not totally exempt, so he deserves a comparison. For me, it’s like... the way Lucas would tell it it’s like he’s the worst singer ever in the history of the universe and you should never hear him, but honestly he’s like. Fine. He’s not great and he would never have gotten into the school for singing, but he’s not terrible. He’s passable. When he tries, it’s charming. I think the biggest key that makes him different from everyone else is he doesn’t have much of a range -- when I pick songs for him, I always try to go for ones that kind of stay within the same octave or register for the entirety so it’s almost like monotone singing, because that’s about what he can handle decently (his performance in 211 being an exception, of course, because it had to be). So, comparing accordingly:

Harry Styles -- I warned you he’d be back again, but this criteria is even more hyper-specific than Charlie. I think Styles is a great comp for Lucas in the very limited tracks where he is not showing off in any capacity and is really just keeping it stripped down and to the point (think “To Be So Lonely”). His cover of “Girl Crush” is another good example of what I mean. It’s basically like the same 4 or 5 notes and very little movement or flash, and his voice kind of takes on a grittier, flatter quality which is what I’m aiming for. Example track: From the Dining Table

That’s really it honestly. He doesn’t perform enough to warrant much else. You get the idea lmao.

ASHER | Although we didn’t expect it back in the days of S1, Asher has certainly jumped up to take spotlight in terms of performing in the last couple of seasons! Ricky (along with Liam) are actual singers and were together in a band for several years, so there’s no doubt they can sing and I think of their voices most often (in particular, I recommend the “Compass” music video, because it’s a good song and allows you to actively see which boy is singing what). But admittedly, Ricky’s handful of solo tracks since FIYM went on hiatus are average at best (and his lyricism... king you need Liam to write your lyrics LMAO), so I don’t usually jump to his music as examples of what I think he -- or Asher -- is actually capable of. So with Ricky’s good vocals as a base, here are some additional comparisons:

Ruel -- Cannot stress this one enough. There’s a reason Asher’s true initial debut was Ruel’s best track (”Younger”). He just has that perfect like... strong tenor with soft edges that feels very teenage twink and very Asher. It’s not quite Diva!Asher flair, but at Asher’s most base vocal style, I think Ruel is the perfect match. Example track: Down For You

Troye Sivan -- Same kind of traits here in terms of like smooth tenor, and in this case it actually is a certified twink singing so the crossover is even more apt. I don’t think Asher is as... electronic as Troye’s production often is, but the general range of his voice is close enough to be considered a match. Example track: 10/10

DYLAN | So same FIYM video shared in Asher’s applies here as well, but I think what works so well about Liam’s voice in regards to Dylan is that I think the key trait to Dylan is that he’s not flashy. When I think about Liam’s voice (and I love his voice, he’s my favorite FIYM member), I often think about when Sue on Glee called Quinn’s voice a “soft, forgettable alto,” but only it’s a tenor and I mean it in a nice way. The most endeared way. Dylan is less about being impressive and more about just like... character. His voice is not the best in the bunch but you can feel how him all of his performances are through his inflections and his energy. That’s what Dylan vocally feels like to me. So aside from his soft, forgettable tenor on the second verse of “Compass,” here’s a couple other niche comparisons for Dyl Pickle:

Princeton in Avenue Q -- Whenever “Purpose” comes on shuffle, I think about Dylan because of how distinct and energetic the delivery of the song is. There’s just so many little quirks and inflections and moments of fun within the vocals, and that reminds me so much of how Dylan performs. Little laughs, free-wheeling runs, stuff like that. Example track: Purpose.

Graham Verchere -- This dude like isn’t even actually a singer and he isn’t that big an actor, but I love love love his rendition of “Thirteen” with Grace VanderWaal and every time I listen to it I think about Dylan and Asher. It captures the other end of Dylan’s range for me (the soft, forgettable tenor thing) in the sense of like... imagining Dylan plucking out songs for fun on his guitar while hanging out with Asher and then playfully serenading him and the two of them doing a carefree, easy duet like this. I just love it. So I’ll include it. Example track: Thirteen.

[raedas]

Ooo my time has come! (I don't mean to overwhelm you with this just I finally have someone who wants my theatre recommendations! Yay!) I think there's a word limit on these so I'll try to say as little as possible.

Alright so if you like Hamilton definitely listen to Natasha, Pierre and The Great Comet of 1812. Like Hamilton it's completely sung through and the songs are absolutely amazing. The cast is so talented and beautiful too (Denée Benton is an absolute angel). Please watch any video you can get of it too the design is gorgeous.

My personal favorite musical ever is Heathers. Like, it will forever be my favorite. Barrett has such a powerful voice and the songs are so, so good and catchy af. It was also the musical that got me into musicals-

And of course I must mention Newsies. Newsies also has a proshot on Disney+ like Hamilton and oh my fucking god don't even get me started on how talented the cast is. Like, the choreography for this musical is insane and they pull it off so well. Jeremy Jordan/ Jack Kelly (his character) is... Perfection. Absolute perfection. The songs are so powerful and, again, the dance skills of this cast is *chefs kiss*.

Next up, Six. Please listen to Six. It's a pretty short musical too which is great if you're like me and have attention issues when it comes to watching and listening to stuff. Believe me as soon as you listen to the first song you WILL be hooked. It's a very upbeat musical aside from Heart of Stone. It's about the ex-wives of Henry the 7th or whatever his title was. But like, the wives are a pop group now- it sounds odd but it's really great.

Waitress is another one I'd definitely recommend. I don't want to repeat myself and just say "it's great and it's amazing and-" again and again so I'll just give you a warning: She Used To Be Mine is one of the saddest and most powerful musical theatre songs you will ever hear. Be warned.

Oh and let's not forget Beetlejuice. This is an extremely popular musical rn and for good reason. It's super upbeat and fun while also having some dark themes. Alex Brightman is just, god I've already used all my good description-y words haven't I? He's a really, really good human being and preformer and I adore him, alright? Alright.

Oklahoma! Is a classic that I really liked. I mostly listen to newer musicals but I really loved Oklahoma!. I'd recommend the 2019 revival if you are listening for the first time. It has a very classical vibe that's also really sweet if that makes sense? Idk.

Hadestown. This is another long one but god is it one of the best musicals of this (last) decade. It's very jazz-y and the songs can be both catchy and make you want to dance or beautiful and make you very, very emotional. Sometimes both! + it has Amber Gray in it so duh of course it's great.

Dear Evan Hansen. This is a VERY popular musical similar to Hamilton's popularity. It's not my favorite since most of the songs are quite slow and not too memorable for me personally but Sincerely Me and Good For You are absolute bops and I'd recommend the musical just for them alone. It has a powerful message about mental health that I know resonated with many people but again, wasn't my thing personally although you may definitely like it.

Hairspray. I'm pretty new to this one but I adore this sixties sound. It's also a very, very upbeat and dancy type musical. There's a couple different recordings of it so it really depends on which you like more. I loved the movie soundtrack but some people prefer the original Broadway show or the live version. Who knows.

Wicked. This is another kinda classic kinda new show that's extremely popular. Basically it's about the Wicked Witch of the West and that's all you need to know before diving in. This wasn't my personal favorite although I did really like it. Popular is a bop and Defying Gravity is one of the most powerful songs (vocal wise) I've ever heard, ever. It was an enjoyable watch that's for sure and I loved the characters.

Oh how could I almost forgot Book of Mormon? This musical is harlious, genuinely. It's a satire musical about Mormons to put it simply but it's also so much more then that at the same time (kinda). Besides it's satirical parts it also has some really powerful songs and lines. Mainly - I Believe. Like,, I love this song, so much. Andrew Rannells has such a good voice also have I mentioned Josh Gad is in this? Because he is. And I love it.

Alright I've been writing this for like, 13 min now I should stop but I must mention Mean Girls. You know what I was saying about Defying Gravity earlier? Well, Mean Girls the musical has it's own version of a powerful vocal song and it's World Burn. I've listened to that song more times then I can count now and I'm still amazed every single damm time.

Quick mention, I'm listening to Spring Awakening rn and this musical is so beautiful I love it.

Anyways, here's my recommendations! 🎵

w o w this looks like it took a while so thank you!!! i might just jump the boat (is that an expression? i don’t think it’s an expression but in my 7 AM brain it made sense) and listen to some musicals soon :))) (ill def listen to one on this list)

also, congrats on sending the longest ask I’ve ever seen!!!! 😂

[theragamuffininitiative]

who is JJ, why do you and God's Little Punk love him so much, and where do I find him (to watch)?

*gasp*

This is JJ:

His actual name is Jeremy Jordan, and I guess technically that ^^ is the character he currently plays on the CW/DC tv show Supergirl (which I don’t recommend, btw, it’s….kinda terrible lol, JJ is for me the only redeeming quality.)

JJ is better known to myself (and now, @gods-little-punk too) for his roles on Broadway, most especially Jack Kelly in Newsies…

(which you can see on Netflix right now and you really ought to, if you can even tolerate musicals at all, it is the most wonderful story and so amazing, you will not regret and I cannot recommend it enough) 

and as the just slightly less heroic Clyde Barrow in Bonnie and Clyde…

And he’s also the voice of this cupcake, Varian, on Tangled: the Series…

He’s been in other things as well, but those are my favorites.

Not only is he a phenomenal actor, but he’s actually better known and celebrated for his singing skills:

Slaying this cover of “Beauty and the Beast” with his wife and being an extremely adorable dork at the same time???

The best oldies medley to ever be medleyed - who says kids these days don’t appreciate the classics?

I need for this show to be made, but basically any time he collaborates with Michael Mott’s writing I love it

And speaking of his other roles, there’s this the very best part of this movie: The Last 5 Years. (Seriously, the movie is gorgeous and has great music, but this is the happiest part of it)

But yeah.

He’s a very precious human being, very sweet, has strangely equal parts ego and bashfulness, is waaaaaay talented, smol fierce bean, apparently only owns like three checkered shirts and a Cowboys hat in his entire wardrobe, has something of a Cinderfella story to his life, is an enormous goof, and one of my favorite people on the planet.

Anyway. This is only scraping the tip of the iceberg of the Blessed Content involving Jeremy Michael Jordan and the fact that he is a gift to us all, but I start sounding like a crazy fangirl very quickly (I mean, I am, but, like… no need to advertise).

As for where exactly you can find his roles:

Newsies is on Netflix.

The Last Five Years is also on Netflix, but it’s got some adult content and is kind of sad and you might get angry at him because of his character so um. XD

Supergirl is also on Netflix and airing soon again on the CW, but man, Supergirl….is problematic. His character, Winn, however? A blessing, a boon, the best.

Bonnie and Clyde can be found as a bootleg of the original Broadway stage production on youtube, and I highly encourage purchasing the album because It Is A Jam.

There’s also somewhere on youtube a bootleg of him as J M Barrie in Finding Neverland, in which his Texan self has an adorably atrocious Scottish accent.

Voice-over work as Varian can be found on Disney XD, and in this released video clip, as well as this amazing one of him as his character singing at some point in a future episode. (!!! so good)

He’s been in other productions and in another movie Joyful Noise (kind of cheesy and yet also surprisingly good, and on Netflix last time I checked), as well as episodes of tv shows like SVU and Elementary, and recurring in the second season of Smash.

But yeah. Start with Newsies.

That’s JJ.

[notthetoothfairy]

Elsie Fest 2017

I WENT TO ELSIE FEST

So for those of you who didn't go and also for me to clear out my head before I go to bed, here are some impressions :)

I was in line with some really cool people - shoutout to my fellow front line humans! We didn't actually get to stand in first row because all the meet&greeters were let into the venue first but we got like third row almost center stage so it was pretty neat anyway.

The sing-alongs were amazing, everybody was so into it and it made waiting much more fun!

Jeremy Jordan's set - damn son!!! He's got some vocals... and he's adorable af to boot, he usually closed with an amazing high note and a silly move, that cute little goober. His Disney/Santa Fe medley was probably best, though they were all superb.

The song they did from The Band's Visit was hilarious, I really wanna see that show now. Just fantastic. Darren came out to introduce them and everyone went nuts. (Including me, obviously, imagine a first-time Elsie goer who has never even seen Darren before lose their fucking shit, haha.)

Ryan Murphy was there to introduce Lea! His speech was so heartfelt and nice. :) Lea made a big entrance and opened with Don't Rain on My Parade - hot damn! I was so in awe, she's so tiny but then those lungs...!!! She also got Darren out to sing Falling Slowly with him, and everyone literally melted (both from the heat, it was like 80°, and the sweetness of their performance). Lea actually also sang Make Me Feel My Love, which was heartbreaking and gorgeous. I just... she made me cry. Cory, you are remembered.

Two cast members from Miss Saigon came out to sing two songs. I can't remember their names (sorry) but the girl especially was just so incredibly talented, that performance brought the house down. They were both amazing.

And then - Alan Fucking Cumming. I've always liked him but I had no clue what a great performer he is. Funny, political, sensual - he has it all. His set was maybe my favourite today, he just has the most incredible stage presence. I was constantly making a heart shape with my hands. :P

There were sing-alongs in between and I'm sure I'm forgetting something (someone?) but then was Darren's main set and holy moly, he got on the stage in this vacation look that of course he managed to look hot in for whatever dumb reason (genes, character, overall flawlessness, who even knows at this point) and we went wild. He started (and ended) with Circle of Life, super cool. He did so many songs, you guys. Cough Syrup was so neat, and The Day the Dance Is Over - aaahhh!!!!! 😍 Also, Teenage Dream, you guys. My heart, my fucking heart. Ducktales was fun. :D

In the meantime, he brought out some guests. Auli'i Cravalho was first, I think, and of course she sang How Far I'll Go. I was sad it ended so quickly because she was amazing and she's so beautiful (like, *so* beautiful, I tried to take like a million pictures). But she came back out with Chuck (!!!! - he's so quiet and humble and cute, you guys) and they did such beautiful harmonies on Lost Boys Life. :) Also, she schooled Darren on calling Moana a heroine, not a princess. You go, girl!

Norm Lewis' voice was making me weep internally already but then he went at addressed political issues and kneeled at the end of his song - so much respect for him, he's awesome.

I actually weeped externally when Ingrid Michaelson sang Somewhere That's Green for her late father. So raw and emotional and just beautiful. And on the other songs, she was just hilarious. She kept poking fun at her own age and at one point just flat-out commented on needing to tuck her boobs back into her dress.

Darren also brought out Jenna as a surprise!!! We had heard Granger Danger earlier in line during Soundcheck and we couldn't figure out who it was - it was Jenna! She did an amazing job (very last minute, apparently), and also she was just so sweet, she seemed genuinely surprised and humbled to have us screeming in joy when she came on stage. What a cute lil bean she is. :) I was so happy to see her!

And then there was Keala Settle - oh my GOD that woman can sing high notes like noone's business. She even greeted us with one and Darren did an amazing mock-shocked face that sadly I wasn't able to catch on camera properly (I think I took a really blurry one).

Keala and Norm actually also came out way earlier for the first sing-along to sing One Day More with us and it was hilarious because Norm didn't know what character he was supposed to sing and there was a confused pause before he belted it out. :D

After Darren left stage, we didn't really have to wait long for the encore, he came back out almost immediately and did a really heartfelt and smooth rendition of Free Fallin' - such a good way to end the night. The whole thing was SO amazing, I'm still processing.

Oh, Elvis Duran was there to introduce Darren's set (and others'), and he talked about how he loves Darren because he treats everybody like his instant best friend, which just makes so much sense to me. :)

Darren did mess up at one point by the way, and of course he told us it happened at every show. Cutie. <3

I also love how he really does kinda make out with the microphone. I have pictures of it now, lol. I'm happy to share but I will be very late to the party because I left my laptop at home and won't be back there until next Sunday. I'll post them eventually, though. :)

Processing isn't over yet, so - I WENT TO ELSIE FUCKING FEST!!!!!!!!!

And now it's time for bed, even if I probably can't sleep!