#josh groban backstage

[boltlightning]

ok. saw sweeney todd revival on broadway. i went from not knowing any songs to seeing two productions in one summer so. thoughts:

because im me my immediate takeaway was: it's been a hot second since i saw a show with the orchestra in a pit down in front of the stage AND it was a 26-person orchestra with refreshed orchestrations! it was so crispy and tight and the energy of being able to see the conductor is difficult to put into words. i'm beyond glad they didn't hide the musicians backstage

there were a lot of people there just for josh groban — i was with family whom i persuaded to see this show because of josh groban, and i heard many people in line being like "hey so is josh groban the bad guy? how much does he kill" and there were some changes i feel reflected that. there was so much physical humor, and sometimes lines were added to further give context to someone's actions. i think it works overall, but you could feel the crowd paying less attention when mrs. lovett or sweeney weren't on stage lol

and it's so unsettling! the chorus has some incredible and strange choreography; the light coming through the steps up to the second story is so ominous; the harmonies SOAR through the theater. it's good stuff.

potentially spoily stuff about the production itself below:

and yes OF COURSE the leads were incredible. i feel like len cariou's sweeney is so angry and yet refined, and michael ball's goes hard on the madness and revenge, but groban's is so...sad. he's such a dad, he sings like an angel, it is so uncomfortable when he does something violent. groban's epiphany is HAUNTING and ELECTRIC and the way he interacts with the razors is incredible! and the way he plays a little priest is hilarious but makes it very clear that it is an extension of his mental break. genuinely and eye-opening experience thank you mr. groban

and ashford takes the more emotional cues from the 2007 movie, but makes you actually care about her lmao. like compared to lansbury's frenetic and absent-minded lovett, ashford is laid back and casual and almost lazy about all the weird shit happening around her. she feels bad about locking toby up, sure, but she's still gonna use it as an excuse to get sweeney to pay attention to her! she's funny she's heartfelt she's insane she wants to fuck sweeney todd so fucking bad. it's an incredible combo

and. yeah the rumors are true. she climbs josh groban like a jungle gym the entire time, and on the rare occasion sweeney snaps out of his brooding to reciprocate the flirting, it is HOT. their camaraderie on and off stage is potent. and it works in the other direction too — when he starts to flinch away from her in the second act it's painful.

i do think that the ending sequence in particular is kind of messy up until the last scene in the bake house; there's not a moment to breathe and not in a way that seems intentional? and some of the scenes with the judge/johanna/anthony subplot could have used some love. but. minor qualms. i am biased because kiss me through pretty women is probably my favorite section of the show ��‍💫

my last takes are: johanna and the beadle in this production are unbelievably good. johanna leaned so into the bird motifs, as well as the idea that she is done waiting around and ready to do violence, much like her father. and the beadle is delightfully amoral and hates his job and delights in the power it affords him. i am so glad they didn't cut parlor songs and let him really eat it up

and. the last shot of sweeney and mrs. lovett is so so so good and i hope they do a professional filmed production of this so people can experience that alone. josh groban's in this it'll sell like hot cakes PLEASE just do it

my first experience with sweeney todd was a local production i saw this june, in a deeply intimate 300-seat theater. i was sitting so close i could've set my drink on the stage. the sweeney was elegant and suave and tortured; mrs lovett was so casually and affably mean. i will think about them forever! and it's very interesting to compare it to the big fuck-off money production considering they both got roasted for having a more emotional sweeney!! here's the theater's 40 second promo for it!!!

nothing will ever replace the original soundtrack in my heart. but i'm gonna be unwell about this revival for a bit

anyway that's all i got!! thanks for reading if you read this. attend the tale and all that (obligatory tag for @r-osehips thank you for the interest ❤️)

[zaharadessert]

Tell me more about:

Dark Hook Husband

Eternal

Kidnapped Princess

Long Lost Family

OH

SK

Vampire Hunter AU

Okay, @teamhook...

Dark Hook Husband can be found in the reblogs of the original post...

OH and SK are here...

and Vampire Hunter AU is talked about here...

Now for the ones you have left... :P

- - - - -

Eternal came about by listening to Josh Groban singing Anthem, and spurred by my persisting desire to hear Colin singing it. As such a musician/singer!Killian idea was born. Also, there was a thing on the radio about one of the members of JLS having a terminal illness I think? (It was a while ago, and I don't remember the specifics) and something about a concert? Idk. Either way, this was what my mind came up with... so...

The moments before the lights went up were always some of Killian’s favourites. The hush of anticipation as the audience fell silent, the drumsticks resting on the edge of the snare drum, fingers hovering over guitar strings, and the slight hum of nothingness in the speakers. It wasn’t totally dark, but just dim enough for their silhouettes to be seen in the atmospheric preshow light on the stage.

It was in this moment that Killian liked to close his eyes and take a deep breath, not in preparation for the first notes he was going to sing, but just to breathe it all in. Relish in the moment and how much he’d achieved and remind himself to be grateful for every single second of it. It was a moment of privacy, even if he knew he wasn’t alone. If nothing else the familiar prickle on the back of his neck told him that, had him opening his eyes and cutting his gaze into the stage left wing.

His lips curled into a smile as he took her in, blonde hair pulled into a loose braid, impeccably dressed in a black shirt and pants with a red blazer and killer heels, backstage pass around her neck, looking like she should be totally out of place among the technicians, stagehands and cable. But she wasn’t, and she never had been.

Her green eyes glimmered in the darkness of the wing, and he knew she loved this moment as much as he did. He winked and she let out a silent breath of laughter, shaking her head.

Their little ritual.

- - - - -

Kidnapped Princess is very similar to my Halloweek fic called Paper Faces on Parade. It's all planned out, I just need to find the time and energy to write the damn thing around everything else I'm writing. So I haven't actually started any words for it yet. Sorry!

- - - - -

Long Lost Family was inspired by the TV Show Long Lost Family. It's actually got a name... With Arms Wide Open. I do have words for this. Basically, Emma signs up for the TV show, and this is what happens. I'd love to finish this and get it posted!

Emma sat staring at the laptop screen, she’d filled out the form because Ingrid had wanted her to, had encouraged her to take this last chance at filling this last hole in her heart. So, they’d filled it in together, while Ingrid was laid out in the hospital, helping her word things so that they made sense. Near the end, Ingrid was too weak, and Emma was too distracted to work on it anymore. Anna and Elsa had arrived by then too and they were still here, wanting to make sure everything was squared away with the house and the will and everything else.

Thankfully Anna was an amazing cook, because Emma had always relied on Ingrid to keep her on the straight and narrow in that regard. Emma was one of those people who’d had to go back to living at home. Luckily Ingrid’s house was big enough that they each had their own space and didn’t spend the last seventeen years tripping over each other.

Emma sipped her hot chocolate, her finger hovering over the mousepad, cursor resting over the submit button. She knew that just submitting the form wasn’t going to be enough, that the form would be vetted, and she’d be interviewed and even then, there was no guarantee that she would actually get on the show.

Elsa breezed into the kitchen; Elsa had always been the serene one, a few years older than Emma with white-blonde hair. When they’d first met, she and Elsa had clashed a little, Emma too guarded and Elsa too self-assured for them to form much of a relationship. Elsa was the polar opposite of her younger sister, who was clumsy and eccentric and full of so much life and with the ability to adopt and love everyone so much they couldn’t help but love her back.

Emma’s resistance, in that instance, had been futile.

[gleegirlimagines]

The Other Puckerman

Quinn Fabray had fallen to the bottom of the food chain of McKinley in a span of a few months. With being pregnant, getting kicked out of her own house and kicked off the Cheerios, she had basically lost everything. Except maybe one thing. Her best friend Y/N Puckerman. Yes, you're probably wondering why Quinn is best friends with the sister of the jerk who got her pregnant. Well, Y/N has been there for her while Puckerman has continued his player ways. Y/N has went with Quinn to her OBGYN appointments, helped her pay her doctor's bills, has been more of an expecting parent than her brother. Quinn had fallen for the girl the first time she yelled at her brother for not being a good parent. There's only one problem.

Rachel Berry.

Rachel and Y/N have been dating for a few months and seemed to be smitten with one another. Quinn knew she didn't stand a chance againt Rachel. It upset her more than anything. Finn seemed to be going through what Quinn was going through, but with Rachel. He had been pining after her for a while and it seemed that everyone knew but Y/N and Rachel. He wanted Rachel more than anyone.

Y/N sat in the crowd as she watched Aural Intensity perform at the regional competition Puck, Rachel and Quinn wanted her to come watch to support. She watched as the group perfomed a mashup of judges Olivia Newton-John and Josh Groban. She rolled her eyes, knowing that the New Directions were probably pissed backstage. After the performance ended and before the New Directions went on, she went to use the bathroom. As she left, she saw Finn and Rachel in place waiting for their cue. The pair seemed to not see the girl as Finn approached the diva. "Break a leg." Rachel said. Finn took a deep breath and responded, "I love you." before going back to his place. Y/N stood shocked. She didn't know Finn loved Rachel. She quickly went back to her seat and watched the group perform. She usually was entranced by Rachel, but a certain blonde kept catching her eye. Quinn made eye contact with her during "Lovin' Touchin' Squeezin'" and mustered up as much sexiness as possible. Y/N knew then what she had to do.

They managed to make it to the hospital in time for Quinn to have the baby. As Puck wheeled her in, she made him stop. "I want Y/N with me too." Y/N stood shocked before looking at her and nodding following her into the delivery room. They prepped Quinn and Y/N was right by her side, along with Quinn's mom. Quinn held onto Y/N's hand in a death grip. "Y/N it hurts so bad." Y/N wiped the sweat that was dripping down her forehead. "I know Quinn, you can do it. I love you. You can do anything."

Quinn stood outside the nursery looking at her daughter. She heard footsteps come up behind her as Y/N joined her. "She's beautiful. Just like her mama." Quinn softly chuckled. "Did you mean what you said in there? That you loved me?" Y/N nodded. "With all of my heart." Quinn turned towards her. "What about Rachel?" Y/N snorted before pulling the blonde girl closer to her. "She understands. Because she feels the same way about Finn." Quinn looked up at the girl who held her heart. "Is this really happening?" Y/N nodded. "Can I kiss you Quinn?" Quinn, instead of answering, pressed her lips against Y/N's in a passionate kiss. Puck was coming to see Beth before observing the scene and turning with a smirk on his face. "Way to go sis. Way to go."

[michaelchallpics]

Backstage at “The Great Comet” on wednesday, June 14th 2017

Azudi Onyejekwe‏ @iamazudi

Such an honor getting to meet & perform for one of my favorite actors in the biz- the amazing #MichaelCHall last night at @GreatCometBway !

[emeraldskulblaka]

Can you talk about some Great Comet understudies you love?

Yes of course! Thank you so much for sending this one ♡

Honestly, all GC casts so far have been made up of phenomenally talented performers, and I don't say this lightly. A large percentage of people who were part of Great Comet have music careers of their own, or are generally less of a 'typical' Broadway performer.

I'll start with the Natasha understudies - Lauren Zakrin and Shoba Narayan. Gorgeous and nuanced acting from both of them! They embodied Natasha's naivety and showed character development in a clear and distinct manner. I'm aware that it looks like I'm conflating them, but they both had their own version of the character that didn't feel like a rip-off from Pippa's, Denée's or each other's portrayal, and that's VERY rare. I'm a bit sad there's no video of Lauren at all considering she's been involved with GC from the beginning, which makes the fact that I still love her this much from just audios extra special. As for Shoba, I'm so so glad that her performance has been captured and is there for the world to enjoy.

PIERRE. Well, the only one I can talk about is Scott Stangland because the others were principals, and I'm not sure if Nick Gaswirth ever got to go on, Heath Saunders definitely didn't. I've never listened to Luke Holloway. Scott was principal Pierre pre-Broadway and alternate towards the end of the Broadway run, but a standby most of the time. His voice doesn't have the edge that Dave Malloy's has, but isn't as gentle as Josh Groban's either. In my opinion, he has the perfect voice for Pierre because it fits all emotions Pierre goes through. I love his acting as well - he's neither pretending to be an old man, nor is he acting like one. His Pierre is a man who has been told that he is an old man, and he believes he is, but he isn't! He's quite energetic and emotional. Scott lives and breathes the show, it's a joy to watch him.

(The world missed out on Heath Saunders, I bet he would have been phenomenal. Watch this.)

The Anatole understudies had quite some work to do trying to live up to the standard Lucas Steele had set, but did some phenomenal work. Blaine Alden Krauss comes to mind first. He's got quite the range, but sometimes didn't even try to sing the notes as written. His Anatole was more youthful and seemed less serious. His intentions towards Natasha seem to be of a more playful nature, in a way. Blaine also was the one who ran around in a dinosaur costume backstage, right? Iconic.

Azudi Onyejekwe was 'downgraded' to 'just ensemble' eventually, but I'm glad he was kept on the show. I haven't listened to a full recording of him yet, but damn. That voice. Also, no copycat. Josh Canfield might have been closest to Lucas, but you certainly didn't get the same performance. Also, he's so KIND.

I can't say much for the other roles because I simply don't remember much, but shout-out to Courtney Bassett, who understudied Gelsey Bell and Brittain Ashford. Damn. The SKILL. I'm still looking for a full audio of Lulu Fall as Helene, but this performance makes me think I'd have fainted if I'd seen her live xD

[swamp-world]

tONYS

yeeeeeee ok here we go some thoughts

Hadestown!!! did!!! amazing!!!!!

That performance from Choir Boy??? Absolutely killed me???? 

tootsie can eat my entire lady ass because they need to stop 

!!!! alex brightman!!! I haven’t been keeping up with the season this year so I didn’t even know beetlejuice was a thing but when I saw him I screamed and !!!! my son !!!! he deserved the Tony for best actor!!!

whY IN THE NAME OF EVERY SINGLE FUCKING GOD OUT THERE DID PROM, THE GAY MUSICAL OF THE YEAR, LOSE TO THE MOST TRANSPHOBIC, HOMOPHOBIC, MISOGYNISTIC MUSICAL OF OUR GENERATION?

Prom!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! My little bi ass is screaming like a possum!!

Josh Groban Is Back Again And I Am Living

Hadestown avenged Great Comet!!!!! yes!!!!

“It’s so Jewish!!”

TOO DARN HOT WAS AMAZING for context I just finished working as a backstage assistant for a run of Kiss Me, Kate and so v hyped to see it onscreen like that which was great, I wish there had been more than one verse used but the tap!!! The choreo!!! the costumes!!!

“Yes, these are, in fact, the Tony Awards and you are, in fact, gay!”

I feel called out

ngl I wasn’t actually the biggest fan of the opening number this year, not sure why but it just wasn’t striking any major chords for me

I miss Amber and Eva I get why they did it but ;-; it would’ve been nice to hear them 

“Finally, an old white man can catch a break!” + shitty #MeToo joke = Bryan Cranston (:/)

It was nice to see that it wasn’t total sweeps this time?

Like, I’m getting REALLY sick of one single show winning EVERYTHING 

Still, Prom and Beetlejuice were still completely swept to the side

They deserved better

OK I REALLY APPRECIATE HADESTOWN’S SALT IN GOING “FUCK YOU FOR NOT NOMINATING REEVES WE’RE GONNA SHOW OFF OUR GUY BECAUSE YOU’RE STUPID AND HE DESERVES IT”

the clarinet in Too Darn Hot

rep!!!! this is the first time I’ve seen a big-name stage actor in a wheelchair and that could be due to my not paying attention but!!!! it’s so important!!!! and she did an amazing job singing holy shit like it’s not easy to get that quality sitting down and she’s always sitting down and i’m so in love even though I don’t really like oklahoma

John Groban looking uninterested after Tootsie’s performance

ok for all my talk about sweeps I just completely disregarded The Cher Show and Ain’t Too Proud

So let’s talk about those

I’m not too familiar with either, I don’t listen to either Cher or The Temptations, and I’m also normally not really fond of musicals based around the music of a particular artist (everything from Jersey Boys, which is probably the best version of it, to Bat Out Of Hell, which is just laughable)

But the performance from Ain’t Too Proud was amazing

I’m in love

Wasn’t too enthused by The Cher Show performance tbh 

Haven’t really got a lot else to say on either of those sorry but I think that they probably both deserved better from what I saw

Samuel L Jackson looking uninterested the whole time

I guess if Neil Patrick Harris isn’t licking his glasses sexily he doesn’t care

I think that’s about it?? I really enjoyed it this year (aside from Tootsie but that abomination can stay in the hole where it belongs).

[josh-groban]

Another update haha, I’ve missed a lot x-x

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[nish6916]

Awards Host Cecily Strong and Sir Ian McKellen Award Honoree Josh Groban pose backstage with his award at the '2017 Only Make Believe Gala' at The Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre on November 6, 2017 in New York City.

[dragon-temeraire]

Illuminate

Summary: Erica convinces Derek to go to an acapella performance with her. Things go better than he could have ever expected.

Notes: I went and saw an acapella performance last weekend, and it inspired me to write a little fic! And I’ve been wanting to write singer!Stiles for a while, so it worked out well. (On AO3)

“Come on, Derek. Please?” Erica says pleadingly, wrapping her hands around his bicep and squeezing. She leans her head against his shoulder for good measure, looking up at him sadly. “I know you’re working on being a hermit, but please come out with me to this one little thing.”

This method works pretty much every time, and Derek sighs. “Why don’t you get one of your other friends to go with you?” he asks. Erica is far more of a social butterfly than he is, he knows she has more friends than the two he’s managed to make.

“They’re not into acapella vocal performances,” Erica says.

“And what makes you think that I am?” Derek asks, eyebrow quirked.

“I know you like to sing,” she says, elbowing him playfully. “And I know you have a good ear for music. I’ve seen your record collection.”

Derek would kind of like to contest all of that, just for the sake of argument. But he’s honestly intrigued, because Erica doesn’t seem like the kind of person who would be into acapella performances. “Okay, fine,” he says. “I’ll go.”

“Yes!” Erica says, beaming up at him. “But you better hurry, we have to leave in twenty minutes. I want to get good seats!”

“You couldn’t have given me more of a heads-up?” Derek asks, though he doesn’t really mind. “I need to change clothes.” Because even if this is a casual thing, he still doesn’t want to show up wearing sweat pants and a shirt with a hole in it.

“You wasted too much time trying to turn me down!” Erica calls after him as he climbs up the stairs to his bedroom. “This wouldn’t happen if you just said yes to your friends!”

Derek can’t help laughing, and shakes his head at himself in the mirror.

 *

 Derek drives, of course, and Erica directs him to an old building on a mostly abandoned street. “I can see why you didn’t want to come here alone,” he says, looking around dubiously as he parks.

“Oh, hush,” Erica says. “They can’t afford nice venues, okay?”

Derek pauses halfway to pushing his door open. “Wait a minute. How do you know that? Have you been to their performances before?”

“Maybe,” Erica says with a sly grin, climbing out of the Camaro.

Which means she’s been to more than she wants to admit, Derek thinks, smirking.

As they walk up, he sees a tattered poster taped to the side of the building. It says:

 Vocal Acapella Quartet

Illuminate

Performing Fri, Sat and Sun!

Free

(donations gladly accepted)

 Derek stares at it for a moment, wondering why Erica would come to see something like this more than once. He pushes open the door, and is surprised to find the reception area is filled with people milling around, talking and laughing together. He notices that many are waiting in line in front of a rickety card table, where they’re buying snacks and drinks.

“Wow, we really did need to get here early,” he mutters, and Erica shoots him an amused look. He gestures toward the back, where he assumes the double doors lead to the performance area. “Why don’t you get us some seats, I’m gonna buy some cookies.”

“You’re not going need food to get through this, I promise,” Erica says, laughing. “But get me some, too.”

“Of course,” Derek says, because he was already planning on it. Erica likes to pretend she’s not as big of a sweet tooth as Derek is, but he knows the truth.

A girl in a fox-eared hat is running the concessions very efficiently, and it’s not long before Derek’s buying his packages of M&M cookies and two tiny cups of fruit punch. “Thank you,” he says, and the girl gives him a bright, beaming smile. It somehow makes him feel less out of place, and he goes to find Erica with a little smile of his own.

Her long blond hair is easy to spot, and Derek is pleased to see that she got seats near the front, despite the crowd. “Thanks,” she says when he hands over her punch and cookies. She sneaks a look at her phone. “They should be starting soon.”

Derek wants to ask questions, like how Erica found out about Illuminate, and why she was so excited to show up to a crappy auditorium, but he’s too busy eating his cookies. They’re very good, and they deserve to be savored.

When Derek had seen the phrase “acapella quartet” on that poster, he’d imagined four middle-aged guys with nothing better to do in their free time. That…is not who walks out.

He takes the last gulp of his punch out of surprise, trying to get a good look as the stage lights suddenly dim.

“Hi, everybody,” one of them says out of the darkness. “We’re Illuminate, and we’ll be performing a variety of songs from different genres for you tonight. We hope you’ll enjoy it, and thanks for coming out!”

There’s a quiet shuffle on stage, and someone blows on a pitch pipe. In the absolute silence of the auditorium, it seems loud. Then they start to sing, and the opening notes are so thrillingly beautiful, it actually takes Derek a minute to realize they’re singing Fat Bottom Girls. The lights slowly come back up as they crest the high notes, and the effect just heightens Derek’s interest.

The chords are so clean and crisp, so perfectly blended, it almost sounds like just one person singing with an incredibly resonant voice. They sing Marry You and then something by Josh Groban, and Derek is mesmerized. He finds himself sitting up straight, upper body leaning toward the stage when he’s feeling particularly overwhelmed by the vocal harmony.

Every time one of the guys has a solo, Derek finds himself raptly attentive, enjoying the unique differences in each of their voices. They’re incredibly good, and Derek finds he’s already thinking about coming back tomorrow night.

“Isn’t Boyd hot?” Erica whispers in a very brief lull between songs.

“Yes,” Derek agrees. He has no idea which one Boyd is, but all of the guys on stage are good-looking, so it’s not a lie.

In fact, one of them, with fluffy golden hair and high cheekbones, actually looks like he could be a male model. Though Derek finds his attention keeps returning to the guy in the middle, who’s lanky and freckled and has a very lovely tenor.

They finish up Bohemian Rhapsody, then grin and wave at the crowd. “Hey, it’s time for a short musical intermission, which will be played for you by the talented Allison Argent!” Male Model says.

He watches as they help a pretty, dark-haired girl roll a piano onto the stage. She gives them all a bright smile, then begins to play something pleasantly lilting.

“Well?” Erica whispers, leaning in close. “What do you think so far?”

“It’s amazing,” Derek says quietly. He wants to say more, but he’s mindful of the crowd around them trying to listen to Allison’s music.

Erica grins at him and squeezes his shoulder, looking delighted. She’s going to be smug about this for ages, but he really doesn’t mind.

Allison plays a couple more songs as the quartet disappears backstage to take a break, probably getting drinks of water and resting their voices. And as much as he enjoys the piano, Derek finds he’s very eager for the guys to come back.

When intermission is over, they help Allison move the piano back offstage. Derek takes a moment to appreciate how nicely all of them are dressed, in fitted slacks with button down shirts tucked in. And if Derek’s eyes stray to Freckle Guy’s ass a couple of times, well, nobody has to know.

Soon they’re all back at the front of the stage again, singing She’s Not There, and it sounds surprisingly good as a quartet.

“We took this audience suggestion from our previous performance,” a guy with a very sunny smile says. “So you’ll be hearing it for the first time tonight.”

Derek is really beginning to wish he knew these guys’ names.

They do Don’t Stop Me Now, and Derek decides that, audience suggestion or not, at least one of them must be very fond of Queen. Then they sing a few more songs that Derek would have never expected to sound good acapella, and finish with The Scientist. The high notes sound so clear and sweet they actually give Derek chills.

He applauds loudly as they all bow, and then break into grins as they wave to the crowd. He’s watching with interest as they walk away, but then Erica is grabbing his arm and saying, “Come on, hurry.”

Derek doesn’t even try to ask, just lets Erica tow him back out to the entry area. But it’s just full of people, like it was before the show, though it looks like even more are buying cookies. “So what was the rush?” he says curiously.

“That,” Erica says, tilting her head.

Across the room, the quartet emerges from a side door, smiling and laughing. They stop in the middle of the room, and people immediately start approaching, shaking their hands and giving what Derek assumes are compliments.

“I’ve been trying to work up the courage to talk to Boyd,” Erica says, briefly leaning against his shoulder. “Do you think I should go for it?”

“Definitely,” Derek says encouragingly. “Start with something easy. Just tell him how much you liked his singing.”

“Okay,” Erica says, squaring her shoulders and nodding to Derek. “I’m gonna do it.”

Derek watches her walk away, and is relieved to see her approaching Muscular Baritone instead of Freckle Guy. And actually, he doesn’t even see Freckle Guy—

“I guess we have our answer,” says someone near his shoulder, and it’s him. “She’s been coming to a lot of our performances, and we were wondering if it was because she was into one of us,” he explains. “I’m guessing you’re not her boyfriend?”

“No, I’m not,” Derek says, unwilling to say more for fear of making a fool of himself. This guy is somehow even more attractive up close, and Derek feels very awkward.

“Okay, good,” Freckle Guy says cheerfully. “Boyd thought you might be, and he was very disappointed when you showed up. I, however, was not disappointed at all,” he adds, giving Derek a bright, almost flirtatious smile.

Derek just blinks at him, wishing he had better social skills.

Thankfully, Freckle Guy doesn’t seem too deterred. “I’m Stiles, by the way,” he says, and Derek can’t help grinning, because of course this guy has an interesting name.

“I’m Derek,” he says in return. And he really, really doesn’t want Stiles to walk away, so before the silence stretches too long, he blurts, “I was thinking of coming to your performance tomorrow, too.”

“Really?” Stiles asks eagerly. “You liked it that much?”

“You guys were incredible,” Derek says honestly. “And I, uh. I might want to see you again.”

Stiles noticeably perks up at that. “I tell you what,” he says, leaning in. “If you come to tomorrow’s performance, I’ll take you to dinner afterward.”

Derek is so shocked that this is actually going in his favor, he just stares for a moment.

“Or late-night breakfast, or ice cream, or coffee,” Stiles says hurriedly, obviously thinking he’s lost Derek. “Whatever you want to eat.”

“Dinner sounds good,” Derek says with a smile.

“Then it’s a date!” Stile says excitedly. He glances away for a moment, then says, “Hey, it looks like our friends are hitting it off, too.”

When Derek looks over, he sees Erica standing close to Boyd, her hand on his arm as she smiles up at him. He doesn’t know Boyd, but Derek thinks he looks quite happy to be right where he is.

It’s the way Derek feels, too.

He and Stiles talk for another few minutes, before something catches his eye. “Oh, shoot, I gotta go help Kira count the concession money.” He reaches out and lightly squeezes Derek’s bicep. “But I’ll see you tomorrow, right?”

“Yeah,” Derek says, smiling. “I’m really looking forward to it.”

Stiles beams. “Me too!” he says, then hurries across the room to the girl in the fox hat. He gives Derek one last wave, then they disappear through the side door.

Derek just stands there for a moment, feeling warm and light, a smile still curling the corners of his lips. He already can’t wait to see Stiles again.

Erica bounces over a few minutes later and grins up at him. “I got a date for tomorrow night!” she says excitedly.

And Derek really, really enjoys her expression of surprise when he gives an answering grin and says, “I did, too.”

[bookloversreviewer]

“Jewel E. Ann has once again crafted a flawless story that is utterly unique and unforgettable. Hands down my favorite book of 2019!”

-- Aly Martinez, USA Today bestselling author

Jersey Six, an all-new “intriguing, gut wrenching and raw” romantic suspense from Jewel E. Ann, is available now!

How far would you go for revenge?

A hit-and-run accident leaves Jersey Six orphaned and homeless on the streets of Newark, shattering her dreams of school dances, pink nail polish, and a diploma.

Eight years later, a burn victim with amnesia wanders into Jersey’s barely-existent life. She resists his efforts to form a friendship until he reveals knowledge of the person responsible for derailing her future. Through their unusual friendship, she discovers a way to avenge the deaths of her foster parents.

All she has to do is destroy the world’s biggest rock star.

In the ultimate game of sex, lies, and manipulation, can Jersey discover the truth? Or will she be blinded by attraction, deceived by love, and destroyed by her past?

Download your copy today or read FREE in Kindle Unlimited!

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2EXNz3c

Amazon Worldwide: http://mybook.to/JerseySix

Amazon Paperback: https://amzn.to/2WIS8nR

Add to GoodReads: http://bit.ly/2UTqCIj

Excerpt:

“We ate at the hotel.” Her lips twisted to the side. “Mind if I stick some stuff in my bag for later?”

A tiny wrinkle formed between Ian’s eyes, just below the long sweep of his black bangs. “There will be lots of food available later too. But…” he shrugged, leaning forward and resting his elbows on his knees “…take whatever you want.”

Jersey glanced over her shoulder at the food and the three other men in the room. She decided to wait a little while before shoving as much as possible into her bag like a free-for-all. “Thanks.” Jersey returned her attention to Ian. “So … you’re a singer. Like … are you a big deal?”

Every word she spoke seemed to feed his level of happiness. “Well …” He rubbed his chin, twisting his lips. “We play music. People like to listen to our music. But no … it’s not a big deal. We’re not saving lives or anything like that.”

She eyed him with suspicion for a few seconds. That smile of his didn’t feel worthy of complete trust. “Um … what exactly do you need me to do? What’s my job? They already took Chris. Will that big, bearded guy come for me too?” Jersey couldn’t remember his name.

“No.” Ian stood, pushing his elbows out from his shoulders, twisting side to side. “Tonight you are just going to watch the concert from backstage. Tomorrow night you’ll sell merchandise.”

“Drugs. You mean drugs, don’t you?”

Ian paused his stretching, letting his arms fall limp to his sides. “Merchandise—T-shirts, posters, keychains, phone cases, hats, guitar pics …”

“To who?”

“Fans.” Ian grinned. “Okay. I might have understated all of this to you … can you name a famous singer? Old or new. Doesn’t matter. Just a famous singer.”

“I had a foster parent who used to listen to Josh Groban.” Jersey gnashed her teeth, still feeling so much anger. Dena wasn’t just a foster parent; she was Jersey’s friend.

“Okay. Well, Josh has sold millions of records, and he’s a huge star in his genre of music. Thousands of people pack venues all over the world to see him sing live in concert. And they sell merchandise of his at those concerts.”

Jersey gazed unblinkingly at Ian as he scratched his jaw.

“Well, I sing a different genre of music, but I, too, travel the world, singing to sold-out concert venues, andI have people who sell my merchandise at these concerts.”

Jersey dropped her bag to her feet and planted her fists on her hips. “Listen, Coop. Stop talking down to me. I’m not an idiot. I know what a concert is. But earlier today you didn’t say what you did or what the job was you were offering. You bought a homeless person a hot dog and offered her a job. Of course, I’m going to think something sketchy might be involved.”

Tipping her chin up, she held her breath to puff out her chest, pretending the recent revelation of Ian Cooper being a famous singer didn’t faze her one bit. Inside, Jersey’s heart hammered into her ribcage, and her mind reeled trying to figure out the day’s events.

“Coop?” His lips twitched into a tiny grin.

“It’s short for Cooper.”

“Clearly.” Ian chuckled. “But my name is Ian. Everyone calls me Ian.”

“I busted the nose and jaw of a kid named Ian. He tried to stick his cock in my ass. I’ll call you Tom, Dick, or Harry, but I’m not calling you Ian because that makes me want to physically harm you.”

Ian’s eyebrows shot up his forehead as his head whipped back a few inches. “Coop it is.”

Enter Jewel’s giveaway for a signed paperback and swag!

https://www.jeweleann.com/jersey-six-giveaway

About Jewel

Jewel is a free-spirited romance junkie with a quirky sense of humor.

With 10 years of flossing lectures under her belt, she took early retirement from her dental hygiene career to stay home with her three awesome boys and manage the family business.

After her best friend of nearly 30 years suggested a few books from the Contemporary Romance genre, Jewel was hooked. Devouring two and three books a week but still craving more, she decided to practice sustainable reading, AKA writing.

When she’s not donning her cape and saving the planet one tree at a time, she enjoys yoga with friends, good food with family, rock climbing with her kids, watching How I Met Your Mother reruns, and of course…heart-wrenching, tear-jerking, panty-scorching novels.

Connect with Jewel

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorjeweleann/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JewelE_Ann

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorjeweleann/

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/jewel-e-ann

Stay up to date with Jewel by joining her mailing list:

http://www.jeweleann.com/free-booksubscribe/

http://www.jeweleann.com

[ellie-valsin]

Shoba Narayan backstage as Natasha, with Josh Groban as a particularly sweaty Pierre.  :)   They’re so incredibly cute...!

[klstheword]

When composer Alan Menken watched a final cut of the live action version of Beauty and the Beast, his first emotion was relief. “Hey, we didn’t screw it up!,” he says with a laugh.

Though there was little chance of that happening, reinventing the much beloved 1991 Disney animated classic -- for which Menken and the late Howard Ashman contributed the songs -- did have its risks. “There are so many variables when you do something like this: the script or casting or new songs. It’s a very sensitive and delicate thing to put together a successful musical,” Menken says. “I really credit [director] Bill Condon with being an amazing captain of the ship.”

From the start, the plan was to flesh out the story of some of the characters, but always to “follow the road map of the original,” says Walt Disney Studios president of music and soundtracks, Mitchell Leib. “This didn’t require reinvention, it was a live action re-adaptation. Reinvention is Snow White and the Huntsman. The animated version of Beast is the perfect movie. We knew we would just enhance the gravity of the situation and juxtapose it with the lightheartedness.”

As the script expanded to provide backstory for Belle’s father, Maurice, as well as for the Prince/Beast, Condon asked Menken to come up with more songs. “We knew we wanted to get more of a sense of time and place for 18th century France, and more texture to Belle and Maurice’s relationship, as well as for the Beast and how the Prince turned so mean,” Menken says.

He and Tim Rice, with whom he shares a best original song Oscar for Aladdin’s “A Whole New World,” wrote three new songs for the $155 million film, which opens today and is predicted to earn as much as $120 million this weekend. Menken -- whose 8 Oscars are the most of anyone alive -- and Rice had also worked together on the 1994 Broadway version of Beauty, following Ashman’s 1991 death. “How Does a Moment Last Forever” expands on Belle’s relationship with her father and what happened to her mother, while “Evermore” tenderly highlights the Beast’s sacrificial love for Belle and “Days in the Sun” serves almost as a lullaby for the objects in the castle.  

“‘Evermore’ happened late in the game,” Leib says. “There was a conversation about how the movie is called Beauty and the Beast and the Beast should have a song. Alan came back quite quickly with a phenomenal musical bed, and then Tim turned around a magnificent lyric about letting Belle go. It’s like a Phantom of the Opera moment.”

Despite the decades since Menken had written for the original, he says “It wasn’t hard to get back into the mindset because I never really got a chance to miss [the characters]. There’s a five-year anniversary, a 10-year anniversary. Disney doesn’t let you venture very far. But to write new songs was really gratifying.”

Menken, who also updated his score for the new version, and Rice penned the new tunes in Spring 2015 in London; two of the songs they started from scratch, while Menken had begun “Days in the Sun” nearly 10 years ago when Disney first floated, then abandoned, the idea of a live action version of Beast. “I prefer to write face to face in the room,” Menken says. “I want the feedback, where’s the title, the exposition, the architecture of the song.”

Even some of the beloved favorites, such as “Gaston” and “Beauty and the Beast,” got a little updating, allowing Menken to use lyrics from outtakes that he and Ashman had written for the original animated movie.

Menken, who produced their vocals, has nothing but praise for Emma Watson (Belle) and Dan Stevens (Prince/Beast), especially since neither actor had done a movie musical before and had to overcome some jitters. “Emma was quite nervous about singing, and insecure about it and very vulnerable. We wanted to give her all the space she needed to find her comfort level. I think for her having the composer there was a bit intimidating, so I hung back,” Menken says. “Dan was also quite insecure, but I was able to be more involved.”

In addition to the versions in the film, Ariana Grande and John Legend cut a new Ron Fair-produced rendition of “Beauty and the Beast,” Celine Dion -- who performed “Beauty and the Beast” for the 1991 film with Peabo Bryson-- recorded  “How Does A Moment Last Forever,” and Josh Groban tackled “Evermore.” All play over the end credits and are on the soundtrack.

“The Ariana and John duet began as a marketing conversation between me and marketing executives,” Leib says. “What I do with every picture is sit down with the marketing teams and say, ‘I know it’s a long way off [but] does it make sense to do some additional recordings with contemporary recording artists?’ I want to know what we need.”  The marketing team felt it was important to have a new version of the title track. Leib says Grande and Legend were their first choices, and both quickly agreed.  

Leib took a cut of the movie to Las Vegas to show to Dion. “We had this great philosophical conversation until 2:00 in the morning,” he says. “Celine has such a tie to the original, she was working out in her head right then and there, as to if she should do it or leave well enough alone.” Working with producer Humberto Gatica, Dion performed the song to an already existing music track, featuring a 100-piece orchestra that Menken had cut when the rest of the score was recorded.

Just as “Evermore” was a late addition to the movie, so was Groban’s contemporary take, after Condon asked if there was a way to get some of the new songs out in advance of the film. Ensemble piece “Days in the Sun” didn’t lend itself to the process and Leib already knew that Dion would not be available to promote her track. The grandeur of “Evermore” required someone with the vocal prowess of Groban or Andrea Bocelli.

“Alan was like, ‘I know Josh.’ He text him, Josh got right back to him,” Leib says. The deal was finalized with Groban’s manager on a Thursday, and he was in the studio recording it the following Monday. He performed the song on Good Morning America earlier this week, making it the only live performance of any song from the project.

The soundtrack, which came out March 10, was released in 17 languages by Walt Disney Records. In the U.S., in additional to traditional retailers. the CD will be stocked in 40 theaters as well as at Disney stores within the theme parks. Additionally, 600 theaters are showing the “Beauty and the Beast” video during movie previews, says Ken Bunt, president, Disney Music Group.

While official first-week numbers aren’t out yet -- Billboard has projected that the set may earn between 50,000 and 55,000 equivalent album units -- Bunt was pleased that the deluxe version, which sells for $15.99 on iTunes, was outpacing the standard version. “When there’s an emotional connection, there’s a willingness to want everything. We saw that for Moana too,” he says. “Our deluxe version is pretty robust, [including] Alan Menken’s demos. It’s a good value.”

Along with his other projects, Disney’s slate of live action versions of The Little Mermaid and Aladdin will keep Menken busy, as will a sequel to Enchanted. The Little Mermaid will pair him with Lin-Manuel Miranda, who will write the lyrics for the new songs written by Menken. The pair go away back: “I remember when he was a kid, literally signing posters for him. He went to school with my niece and my sister said, ‘There's this kid… he’s such a big fan.’ I remember going backstage during In the Heights. I look forward to working with him.”

[modernhist]

compilation of notable the great comet of 1812 posts from the main blog archives for @orangegelpen you have inspired me to relive the past

+ pippa soo looks cool @ the bway opening night in november

+ pleasing pierre aesthetics

+ josh groban & denee benton as pierre & natasha of the original bway cast

+ A PIECE OF TRUE HISTORY. twitter receipts for lin’s first time seeing pippa on stage at the great comet off-bway, which would later lead to pippa originating the role of eliza in hamilton

+ cute pics from backstage when the great comet was off-bway

+ pippa soo & denee benton performing “no one else” + dave malloy commentary

+ PIPPA SOO’S VOICE DEMANDING A BETTER SONG ("NO ONE ELSE”)

+ seating chart graphics

+ pippa seeing herself on a billboard in times square for the first time

+ scans of off-bway cast recording booklet ft. natasha in costume, kissing anatole, touching pierre’s cheek

+ A GOOD TWITTER INTERACTION. the great comet bway arrival date & THEATRE (the imperial theatre, next door to the richard rodgers) is announced. lin, alex lacamoire, and dave malloy make plans to play BEATLES ROCKBAND together & alex lacamoire calls the drums

[cleopatrarps]

'The Band's Visit' sweeps Tony Awards as "Harry Potter" wins best play

NEW YORK (Reuters) – “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” won the Tony for best play on Sunday while “The Band’s Visit” swept the musical categories with 10 wins, including the top award best musical at Broadway’s annual honors for the best in theater.

72nd Annual Tony Awards – Photo Room – New York, U.S., 10/06/2018 – The cast and producers of “The Band’s Visit” pose backstage with their awards, which include the Tony for Best Musical. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid

Glenda Jackson and Andrew Garfield took home acting prizes and rocker Bruce Springsteen received a special Tony, while a revival of the AIDS drama “Angels in America” was named best play revival and “Once On This Island” won best musical revival.

But the biggest surprise of the night came when Robert De Niro, appearing on stage to introduce Springsteen, used the “F-bomb” against U.S. President Donald Trump.

De Niro’s comments brought the cheering crowd at Radio City Music Hall to its feet but were bleeped for U.S. television audiences.

“The Band’s Visit,” about Egyptian musicians stranded in a small Israeli town, also won acting awards for stars Tony Shaloub, Katrina Lenk and Ari’el Stachel, as well as best book, score, director, orchestration, sound design and lighting.

It lost just one category among its 11 nominations, with its 10 wins just two shy of the record for any show set by “The Producers.”

72nd Annual Tony Awards – Photo Room – New York, U.S., 10/06/2018 – (L-R) Colin Callender, Sonia Friedman, Jack Thorne and John Tiffany pose with their Best play award for “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Parts One and Two.” REUTERS/Brendan McDermid

“I avoided so many events with them (his parents) in the past because I pretended that I was not Middle Eastern,” said Stachel, whose father is of Yemeni and Israeli heritage.

He also praised “a cast of actors who never believed they would be able to portray their own races.”

“Harry Potter,” a record-setting $69 million two-part production set 19 years after the last of J.K. Rowling’s best-selling novels about the boy wizard, won a total of six Tonys including best new play and best director.

Garfield won best actor in a play for his acclaimed performance in “Angels in America,” which also won Nathan Lane his third Tony, as closeted conservative lawyer Roy Cohn, who died of AIDS.

Slideshow (43 Images)

Praising playwright Tony Kushner, an emotional Lane said, “Tony wrote one of the greatest plays of the 20th century, and it is still speaking to us as powerfully as ever in the midst of such political insanity.”

Kushner, noting it was 21 weeks until the mid-term congressional elections in the United States, continued the political vein adding, “21 weeks to save our democracy.”

Jackson, 82, returning to Broadway after 30 years and a lengthy term as a British politician, was named best actress for her tour-de-force performance in Edward Albee’s “Three Tall Women.”

Laurie Metcalf won her second Tony, playing a younger version of Jackson’s imperious character in “Three Tall Women.”

Veteran actress Chita Rivera and British musical impresario Andrew Lloyd Webber received lifetime achievement awards, while actor, writer and comedian John Leguizamo was given a special Tony for his one-man show, “Latin History for Morons.”

The Tonys, hosted by singer-songriter-actors Josh Groban and Sara Bareilles, capped another record year on Broadway with $1.7 billion in box office receipts, despite the smallest number of new productions in 20 years.

Reporting by Chris Michaud; Editing by Jill Serjeant and Darren Schuettler

The post 'The Band's Visit' sweeps Tony Awards as "Harry Potter" wins best play appeared first on World The News.

from World The News https://ift.tt/2JArojN via News of World

[dragnews]

'The Band's Visit' sweeps Tony Awards as "Harry Potter" wins best play

NEW YORK (Reuters) – “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” won the Tony for best play on Sunday while “The Band’s Visit” swept the musical categories with 10 wins, including the top award best musical at Broadway’s annual honors for the best in theater.

72nd Annual Tony Awards – Photo Room – New York, U.S., 10/06/2018 – The cast and producers of “The Band’s Visit” pose backstage with their awards, which include the Tony for Best Musical. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid

Glenda Jackson and Andrew Garfield took home acting prizes and rocker Bruce Springsteen received a special Tony, while a revival of the AIDS drama “Angels in America” was named best play revival and “Once On This Island” won best musical revival.

But the biggest surprise of the night came when Robert De Niro, appearing on stage to introduce Springsteen, used the “F-bomb” against U.S. President Donald Trump.

De Niro’s comments brought the cheering crowd at Radio City Music Hall to its feet but were bleeped for U.S. television audiences.

“The Band’s Visit,” about Egyptian musicians stranded in a small Israeli town, also won acting awards for stars Tony Shaloub, Katrina Lenk and Ari’el Stachel, as well as best book, score, director, orchestration, sound design and lighting.

It lost just one category among its 11 nominations, with its 10 wins just two shy of the record for any show set by “The Producers.”

72nd Annual Tony Awards – Photo Room – New York, U.S., 10/06/2018 – (L-R) Colin Callender, Sonia Friedman, Jack Thorne and John Tiffany pose with their Best play award for “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Parts One and Two.” REUTERS/Brendan McDermid

“I avoided so many events with them (his parents) in the past because I pretended that I was not Middle Eastern,” said Stachel, whose father is of Yemeni and Israeli heritage.

He also praised “a cast of actors who never believed they would be able to portray their own races.”

“Harry Potter,” a record-setting $69 million two-part production set 19 years after the last of J.K. Rowling’s best-selling novels about the boy wizard, won a total of six Tonys including best new play and best director.

Garfield won best actor in a play for his acclaimed performance in “Angels in America,” which also won Nathan Lane his third Tony, as closeted conservative lawyer Roy Cohn, who died of AIDS.

Slideshow (43 Images)

Praising playwright Tony Kushner, an emotional Lane said, “Tony wrote one of the greatest plays of the 20th century, and it is still speaking to us as powerfully as ever in the midst of such political insanity.”

Kushner, noting it was 21 weeks until the mid-term congressional elections in the United States, continued the political vein adding, “21 weeks to save our democracy.”

Jackson, 82, returning to Broadway after 30 years and a lengthy term as a British politician, was named best actress for her tour-de-force performance in Edward Albee’s “Three Tall Women.”

Laurie Metcalf won her second Tony, playing a younger version of Jackson’s imperious character in “Three Tall Women.”

Veteran actress Chita Rivera and British musical impresario Andrew Lloyd Webber received lifetime achievement awards, while actor, writer and comedian John Leguizamo was given a special Tony for his one-man show, “Latin History for Morons.”

The Tonys, hosted by singer-songriter-actors Josh Groban and Sara Bareilles, capped another record year on Broadway with $1.7 billion in box office receipts, despite the smallest number of new productions in 20 years.

Reporting by Chris Michaud; Editing by Jill Serjeant and Darren Schuettler

The post 'The Band's Visit' sweeps Tony Awards as "Harry Potter" wins best play appeared first on World The News.

from World The News https://ift.tt/2JArojN via Today News