#sondheim: that wasn't what---

[septembersghost]

it's just that "i was half-convinced i'd waken, satisfied enough to dream you" is such a delicate declaration, yet so ardent. if perhaps you aren't real, if you are something my own mind has concocted, that's enough. (come back to me, even as a shadow, even as a dream.) the mere gossamer thread of fantasy would be enough to fill my heart, would be real enough if you don't exist in this waking world, i'll bring you into it, i'll find you in a dream. "happily, i was mistaken," and have never been so glad to be wrong. you do exist, some miracle of fate led me to that window, and as long as you are real, there is hope to hold onto. that love could be realized too. anthony is the only person in the story who still believes in anything, and it's love. my heart has followed a winding path, and that you exist is enough to persist. in the cracks of light, i dreamed of you. it was real enough to get me through. 'til i'm with you, then i'm with you there.

[winepresswrath]

The thing about Crowley is that he already tried fighting* the system and the end result was his fellow rebels making a new system suspiciously similar to the old system with torture pits and demotivational posters in place of the aggressive hypocrisy and kardashiancore interior decorating. And then after that he decided to fight the apocalypse and the apocalypse thwarted itself with minimal involvement required from him. His biggest contribution was fucking up a simple handoff completely accidentally. His apparent belief that it'll all sort itself out without him or it won't and either way his involvement will be largely irrelevant to everyone but himself is pretty well founded. I'm sure by the end of season three he'll have learned a valuable lesson about how admitting that you want to make positive contributions to the world is something you can do on your own terms and not simply an exercise in opening yourself up to god's preordained judgement and hell's torture pits and but he's old and tired and has probably never been kissed let him have a very specific vision for his retirement.

*ok his version of fighting was probably just asking a lot of very annoying questions and then semi-accidentally joining a rebellion.

[cesium-sheep]

dream about the type of used bookstore that encourages buying a whole cartload and also has some of the books just piled in carts so I was meticulously going through them all. it was fun.

[cutesilyo]

the thing i really like about just for once in nerdy prudes must die is that it's best iteration of the musical within a musical trope that has become characteristic of the hatchetfield musicals

like both show-stopping number and deck the halls (of northville high) are catchy songs from in-universe musicals that were very much written to have plots that suck

and show-stopping number was so well-beloved because it is, frankly, a hilarious scene that robert manion put 100% into

but i argue that only just for once is thematically relevant to its musical and fully emblematic of the wants and desires of the character singing it

because what is just for once, as a scene? it's ruth singing a song because she thinks she's got a chance of doing it better. it's ruth singing a song about a character who looks back on the mundane miseries of her lonely life and — at the last second — remembering who she used to be before the pain set in. it's ruth singing her version of cooler than i think i am and reflecting on how she is perceived and wondering what it takes to break away from it. it's ruth singing right after she says, "in my dreams, i'm the star of the show."

of all the losers that max jagerman victimizes, only ruth says who she'd like to become beyond that. where pete can't even admit to liking steph at gunpoint and richie doesn't ever get the chance to verbalize what he wants, ruth gets on the stage in the few minutes of break time and just for once, the spotlight is on her.

and the really crazy thing about just for once is — it has the "i'm not a loser" motif. possibly the most iconic and important motif of the whole musical, it's the motif that starts the opening number. and here it is, in the silly musical within a musical by the silly character who has — until this song — always served as comic relief.

in the climax of the song, just for once is no longer the song of a character from the barbecue monologues. it's ruth's. in those few seconds, it's her lamentation of the life that max jagerman forced on her.

but that's the thing about the "i'm not a loser" motif. the way it functions in the musical is as a harbinger for max's violence. the police at the beginning ask, "what the hell happened here?" and its the motif that answers. pete is the first character that sings the line and is immediately beaten up by max in the next scene. then richie sings it and max kills him in the same song. when ruth has the motif running as the crescendo to just for once, it sounds absolutely incredible... and it should come as no surprise when max appears shortly after.

(as a quick note: you can also hear the motif after max makes the car crash, then max appears two scenes later. you then hear the motif in the cooler than i think i am reprise and max also appears right after the song. it's like max is instantly summoned by any instance of the losers trying to shake off the role he placed on them — of trying to defy him.)

tl;dr: the inclusion of the "i'm not a loser" motif in just for once makes it the big lipped alligator moment that wasn't. like yeah, it accomplishes its goal in being the funny musical within a musical trope! the character acting makes it a funny song, and its a funny character performing it! but it also furthers our understanding of ruth AND of what the "i'm not a loser" really is: it's the characters trying to develop past being nerdy prudes and max doing everything in his power to prevent that.

and it does all that while being a banging musical tribute to stephen sondheim and, especially, his song the ladies who lunch. which in itself is a massive flex on jeff blim's part. what a brilliant song in a brilliant musical.

[marybeatriceofmodena]

What did Andrew Lloyd Webber do to make Patti Lupone upset? Sorry, saw your tags and i was curious

Oh.

Oh honey.

You sweet child.

Anyway, get ready for one of the most infamous showdowns in all musical theatre history, with the guy who writes the straightest musicals on Broadway (derogatory) and the one and only, the matriarch, the queen, two three-time Tony award winner Patti LuPone.

So, Andrew Lloyd Webber was basically kind of a boy genius in his prime - he met his future collaborator Tim Rice when they were 17 and 20 respectively, he wrote his first big hit, Jesus Christ Superstar, at 22, with Tim Rice writing the lyrics. And it was kind of a big deal at the time because the topic was controversial (you know, the Passion with rock music), but also because Broadway wasn't that far off from its golden age and let's just say the music and style were very different from, say, My Fair Lady. Or The Sound of Music. Or Funny Girl. It was basically the Rent/Hamilton of its time. (Yeah, Stephen Sondheim was around at that time, he worked on West Side Story which was revolutionary in of itself, but he's kind of an oddball in this case. You'll understand why later.)

Their real follow up (I'm not counting Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat for a variety of reasons) was a little musical called Evita, which you might know mainly because of a song called Don't Cry For Me Argentina. Or at least, your mom has probably heard it once at the very least. It's that song that's oversung from a musical while being out of context along with I Dreamed a Dream for Les Misérables. Or Memory from Cats.

Evita tells the story of Eva Peron, the wife of an Argentinian dictator, who basically screws her way to the top and ends up becoming the mistress of Juan Peron and the most beloved woman in her country through guile and deceit. Yes, I know the historical accuracy is very much debated but I know jackshit about Argentina's history except the bare basics so don't come at me. It was first produced in the West End in London, with Elaine Paige in the role, but because of Equity issues, she couldn't reprise her role for the Broadway production. So a Julliard graduate who was mostly starring in David Mamet plays got the part instead, and that was Patti LuPone.

Patti... did not have a good time during Evita, because the part is basically the kind of score where you can tell the composer is used to writing male parts, but most female singers have a two-octave range (yes, you got Julie Andrews who used to have a three-octave range, and many others, but they're exceptions), so she struggled a lot. That being said, if you listen to live recordings of her, you wouldn't be able to tell, and it got a lot easier later on. But she had this to say:

"Evita was the worst experience of my life. I was screaming my way through a part that could only have been written by a man who hates women. And I had no support from the producers, who wanted a star performance onstage but treated me as an unknown backstage. It was like Beirut, and I fought like a banshee."

This is from Patti's autobiography, which she wrote in 2007 - 8 years after shit with ALW went down. With all that said, she won a Tony Award for Evita, and she pretty much became a musical theatre household name from then on. She played Fantine in Les Misérables, Nancy in Oliver!, Reno Sweeney in Anything Goes. Meanwhile, ALW's next big hits were Cats (I'm not even kidding, Cats was a hit), and, you guessed it, The Phantom of the Opera, which he wrote in part to showcase his then wife Sarah Brightman's triple threat talents.

So, you need to understand before I continue that ALW, from my perspective, has always had a bit of an inferiority complex. He's basically associated to writing these commercially successful musicals that show a big spectacle but aren't ultimately substantial. I'm not sure I entirely agree with that, but I do think that if he didn't have Hal Prince, Maria Bjornson, Charles Hart and Gillian Lynne backing him up for Phantom, it would have probably been a Rocky Horror Picture Show knockoff people would have forgotten about pretty quickly. This is what I mean:

Yep, that was Phantom before any of the people I mentioned above (and Michael Crawford) were really involved.

Remember how I said Stephen Sondheim was an oddball? The thing with him is that his musicals weren't always commercially successful, but in general, in part thanks to being Leonard Bernstein's protégé, he was generally pretty well-respected and it was considered that his work was bringing musicals to a whole other level. Without Sondheim, you wouldn't have Jonathan Larson, and you wouldn't have Lin-Manuel Miranda. I am convinced ALW is resentful of that, and when you stop and think about it for more than 10 seconds, it's so obvious he REALLY wants to be Sondheim or at least command the same level of respect, but that's a story for another day.

So, after Phantom, ALW had other musicals that followed that either got a meh reception or outright flopped. Then there was Sunset Boulevard, which is based on the movie of the same name with Gloria Swanson. Despite all of her griefs for Evita, Patti LuPone agreed to partake in the musical as Norma Desmond, for its production in London, with the promise that she would transfer to Broadway once that production would open. And overall, after a string of flops, Sunset was actually doing pretty well.

HOWEVER. One day, while reading the gossip column of a newspaper, Patti found out that contrary to what she was promised, Glenn Close, who was meanwhile starring as Norma in the Los Angeles production, was to play Norma on Broadway. That was a complete surprise for her since no one on the production team had bothered to tell her it was happening - and keep in mind that for the news to come up the way it did in a gossip column, it probably would have necessitated a delay of a few weeks between the producers and the newspaper, which would have given them plenty of time to break the news to Patti. And Patti kind of needed the leg up because she was pretty bitter that a) Madonna was cast in the Evita adaptation instead of her; b) they actually lowered the key to fit Madonna's voice range, and she still had to expand her own to be able to sing the (lowered) score. And trust me, Patti is mad about it to this day.

So of course, she trashed her dressing room, the cast and crew weren't even mad about it because they were as shocked and angered as she was by the news. Patti sued Andrew Lloyd Webber for breach of contract, namely for 1 MILLION DOLLARS (yup, those are the real numbers), won, used the money she got from the lawsuit to get a swimming pool, which she called (and I SHIT YOU NOT) the Andrew Lloyd Webber Memorial Pool. Since then, Webber is dead to her, to the point rumor has it she had part of a building blocked during an event so she could get out of it without coming across Webber, because she hates him so flipping much she doesn't even want to be in the same building as the guy.

(There's also drama that happened with Faye Dunaway who was supposed to replace Glenn Close after she went from Los Angeles to Broadway, except they abruptly closed the show down after Close left, but that's a story for another day)

So with all the bad press, and with ALW forced to pay 1 million dollars for Patti's lawsuit, that led Sunset's productions to close earlier than expected. ALW has stayed around since, with... mitigated output, so to say. The lowest point for a lot of people is Love Never Dies, the sequel to Phantom, which some people love, and that's fine, but it didn't do well with either critics nor fans of the original show, which ALW is EXTREMELY BUTTHURT ABOUT. And like, there are so many stories I could tell about LND alone, but I will share my own crack theory about it, since it does relate to the ask.

Anyway, buckle up.

So. There have been jokes going around for years that the Phantom in LND is basically ALW's self-insert, where he displays to the world that he's totally not over Sarah Brightman leaving him (in part because making Phantom kinda ruined their marriage lmao), despite, you know, having married since. (Aaaaaakward.) So LND basically becomes this really uncomfortable therapy session where a man writes a self-insert musical about how his ex-wife made a big mistake of leaving a sensitive artistic soul such as himself. The characters from Phantom who appear in LND are all more or less unrecognizable as a result, and one who gets it worse (in my humble opinion) is Meg Giry, who was basically Christine's sweet and loyal ballerina friend who basically went into the Phantom's lair on her own to save her friend despite the danger. In LND, she's basically a bitter hag (because ALW hates women, guess Patti was right about that), who really likes the swim and even has a stripping vaudeville number about it, written in universe by the Phantom, no less.

For comparison, here's Don Juan Triumphant (the Phantom's opera in the original):

And here's Bathing Beauty (the vaudeville number):

Yeah, so... do you see why people hate LND already?

And that's not the only thing with Meg! She's also pining for the Phantom to pay attention to her and threatens to drown the Phantom and Christine's secret love child when he makes it clear that he's gonna love Christine for EVA AND EVA.

So, with everything we learned today about ALW, would someone like him view someone like Patti LuPone as some sort of crazy, bitter diva who's obsessed with him for whatever reason? Absolutely. Would he be petty enough to insert Patti LuPone into his self-insert musical, which gave us the version of Meg Giry we got in LND? Of course. Why does Meg love to swim so much and why does she drag Gustave out ostensibly for a swim? Is it a dig at Patti's Andrew Lloyd Webber Memorial Pool? Maybe.

I kind of hope we find out one day if that theory is true. And maybe start a kickstarter so Patti can add this painting from the 2004 movie in her collection.

Fun fact: during the process of casting for the 2004 movie adaptation of POTO, ALW allegedly suggested Patti LuPone to play Carlotta... only for Joel Schumacher to have to awkwardly remind him that they were not on speaking terms. The idea was therefore promptly dropped.

[harrowscore]

to take your mind of the foreboding WH movie adaptation disaster: Are there actually some non-English gothic titles you would like to recommend?

ohhhhh, what a good ask!

now, i'm actually not that well-versed in the gothic genre as i'd like to be, and if anyone has more recs they're welcome to add them to my list. but still, let's begin with:

gaston leroux, le fantôme de l'opéra (+ andrew lloyd webber's musical - which is hugely popular, as it should be! - and i'd also recommend the 1925 silent movie with lon chaney. it's probably the most faithful film adaptation of poto... too bad for that ending tho. there's also a prequel/retelling book by susan kay called phantom, which is very good - but not flawless - except i heavily dislike christine's characterization in this one; you can always read until the counterpoint section and call it a day)

victor hugo, notre dame de paris + the musical adaptation by riccardo cocciante. it's in french, but i also enthusiastically rec the italian version - you can find both of them on yt!

so, besides these two super famous classics, there's the poem the demon by mikhail yuryevich lermontov. you can find an opera rendition of it by anton rubinstein.

speaking of opera, béla bartók's bluebeard's castle - aka a gorgeous adaptation of the fairy tale by the same name. this version is particularly excellent, and there are also a lot of good album recordings on spotify. musically-wise, tho, it's maybe not easily accessible to people who aren't already familiar with opera...?

charles gounod's faust (again, an opera!) and various non-english versions of the story, like goethe's. by goethe there's also the poem der erlkönig. here a beautiful musical rendition by franz schubert.

panna a netvor aka "the maiden and the monster", my favorite beauty&thebeast movie adaptation. it's a 1978 czechoslovak film, you can find it here on yt with eng subs. and idk if i would say it's gothic but there's also the jean cocteau 1946 film + another french one filmed in 2014 starring léa seydoux and vincent cassel.

fyodor dostoevesky, the double

carlos ruiz zafon, the shadow of the wind (which i enjoyed, but i wasn't personally crazy about, though)

it's not gothic - it's magical realism, actually - but fans of the genre would possibly like gabriel garcia marquez's one hundred years of solitude for its themes

again, not gothic (i've seen it labeled as "dark academia" but. for some people anything is ~dark academia, including dostoevesky and the picture of dorian gray, for some unfathomable reason), but i'd rec vita nostra + its sequel, assassin of reality, by ukrainian authors marina and sergey dyachenko. there's an english translation and an italian one for my mutualiani, plus a third and final book coming out in, maybe, 2025.

the cabinet of dr. caligari + the man who laughs starring conrad veidt (😳😍) - the latter is an adaptation of the victor hugo's novel by the same name

for other movie recs, the original nosferatu + dario argento's suspiria (which has also a more recent remake by luca guadagnino of challengers fame)

fosca by igino ugo tarchetti. didn't read the novel, but i watched the musical adaptation by stephen sondheim, passion, here (and that's in english). again, idt if it's gothic or even gothic-adjacent but fosca's character has been compared and contrasted as a female version of the phantom of the opera by musical theatre fans, so. here it is.

now, for things i didn't personally watch/read so i can't vouch for them, but they seem all well-written/made nonetheless and belong to my unending list(s) of books to read/films to watch:

vampire hunter d. (anime)

john ajvide lindqvist, let the right one in (novel + movie adaptation)

marina enriquez, our share of the night + things we lost in fire (novel + short stories collection)

(mind you that these recs conflate a lot with the horror department. but i still think they could be interesting for gothic fans)

two book series that are written by english authors but i think they deserve more attention:

mervyn peake, gormenghast

jonathan l. howard, johannes cabal (which contains huge references to faust, dracula, and works by poe and lovecraft. the protagonist has also become one of my favorite characters of all time, i've fallen in love with him at first... page, i guess lol)

and that's it! again, if anyone has any other good rec, please feel free to add them!

[madsworld15]

Letter to Gavin Creel

Dear Gavin,

I was in the middle of a major website project at work on Monday when I heard that you had passed away. For the first time in my life, I actually sobbed hysterically at the death of someone famous. When I say sobbed hysterically, I mean unable to focus on anything because my eyes were too wet and my chest was too tight. I hadn’t cried like this since the day my grandmother died four years ago.

You see, I don't usually get this visibly upset when people in the public sphere pass away. Sure, I was sad when people like Sondheim, Betty White, and Robin Williams died. But I've never been so upset that I couldn't function. That is just your impact on the world, for me and so many others.

The last time I saw you in person was in 2017 at the stage door of She Loves Me. Despite it having been years since then, I believe that if we’d met at a stage door or other event today, you’d still recognize me. Because that is the type of person you are. I guess were, now that you’ve passed, but I can’t find it in myself to talk of you in the past tense. It just doesn’t seem real that someone so full of life and immortal is no longer here with us, dancing through this thing called life.

You don’t know this, but I got to see you perform in my favorite musical, Into the Woods, when the tour came to Philadelphia in April of last year. It was a last-minute decision that fell on a weeknight, so I couldn’t stay late afterward to stage door. Of course, I thought to myself that I’d have plenty more opportunities to see you work your craft. Now that you’ve passed, I wish I had said “fuck it” to having to be at work the next day and stayed to chat with you.

Like so many of those who looked up to and admired you, I first discovered you when I was in HS watching Eloise at the Plaza. As a child, I had adored the Eloise books, so naturally, I was excited to see a film made about the precocious girl. Back then I had no idea who you were, just that your name was attached to the character of Bill. I adored Bill and his silly, over-the-top theatrics and became obsessed with watching the movie just for him – though Eloise was great, too.

Then, as a freshman in college, I started talking to this person from New York City through a mutual fan group on Facebook. She encouraged my very limited knowledge of musical theatre and introduced me to so many new things. One of them was a bootleg recording of Hair from 2009. The energy you exuded on stage was palpable, even from the grainy 2000s video.

At that point in my life, I was sure I would never get out of Kansas. I knew I was different and didn't fit in with the other people in my small-town Kansas community. By the time I left and moved to NY in 2013, I still wasn't sure what my identity was, but I was certain I belonged to the queer community. Upon arriving in New York, I quickly found myself immersed in the musical theatre community there.

One of the first shows I saw was The Book of Mormon. I would visit the theatre at least once a week, sometimes even twice. I didn't really have the finances to do that, but my mental health demanded comfort, and that show was where I found it. So, once or twice a week, I would play the lottery or do standing room.

By the time you moved from The Book of Mormon on the West End to Broadway, I was ready for you but also hesitant to love you because your predecessor, Nic Rouleau, had had such a profound impact on my mental health and self-worth. From the moment I met you, though, I knew I could never have any feelings other than love for you.

Sure, I already knew I loved you as a performer from the years of watching bootlegs of your performances, listening to your EPs, and loving you in Eloise. However, my connection and attachment to The Book of Mormon was so great that each time the leads switched, I had a hard time adjusting.

It was different with you, though. You immediately took me under your wing and made me know I was important to you. That first night, you forced me to hand over my phone for our photo, and you scrolled through filters until you found the one you wanted. Then you insisted we do silly faces, that serious faces weren't needed. It was as if you knew I needed comfort more than a professional stage door selfie.

Over the course of the year you were part of the Broadway company, we interacted many times. Every time you saw me, your face would light up, you'd insist on a silly photo, and then you'd ask me if I was doing okay and how work was going. You genuinely wanted to know. It was something that got me through those extremely dark days of working a job I hated but not knowing any other path I could go on.

I didn't ever tell you this, but those moments kept my suicidal thoughts during that time at bay. Knowing I could swing by the stage door at any time, whether I'd seen the show or not, and talk to you was what got me through. We never talked about anything profound or world-changing, but you asking me about my day and encouraging me to find my passion changed my whole life.

After you left Mormon, I didn't see you again until the final days of She Loves Me. I fully expected you to not remember who I was, but you did. Once again, your smile grew at the sight of me, and you made a joke while wiggling your face to emphasize the mustache on your face. I wish I'd taken more time to tell you about my life that day. To connect more with you, but I didn't.

I had no way of knowing that would be the last time I would see you perform for many years. Not long after that, my finances took a major hit, and I moved to NJ, making trips to Broadway a bit harder to accomplish. So, I wasn't able to see you in Waitress or Hello, Dolly. But, man, did I want to. I did have the chance to watch clips of you in these shows and bask in the glory of your singing voice and stage presence, even if it was from afar.

I started to understand myself more clearly and made friends who helped me find an identity that made sense to me. Then, 2020 hit, and I suffered quite a few losses in my family. I struggled to keep my head above water, but my queer friends reminded me that there were things worth living for. Through these friendships, I started to find my way out of the mess I was in and found joy in musical theatre again. I started to listening to your personal music and the cast albums of your shows. It wasn't the only music I listened to, but it helped me get through the most.

Then, Into the Woods happened. By this time, I had started to be a co-leader in a local Tri-State Queer group. We would all get together and talk about TV, Broadway, Music, and Movies. It was so rejuvenating. A group of us got tickets to see Into the Woods on Broadway, but I couldn't be part of that due to finances. However, my best friend works for Ticket Philadelphia, so he promised that I could go with him when it came to Philadelphia on tour.

And that brings us to the close of this letter. I got to see you exude that joy all over the stage one last time in Into the Woods on Tour. It was one of the best nights of my life. Your performance of Agony will live on in my memories forever. As will your performance of I Believe in The Book of Mormon.

I never got around to telling you this in person, so I will say it now: Thank you so much for all the moments in my life that your presence or your voice got me through. Your passion for life and love was always awe-inspiring, and it's what I will carry with me through the years. We all deserved to see you do so much more in the world of Broadway, musical theatre, and beyond. Life truly is unfair, but I'm grateful for what I was able to experience with you.

Rest easy, dance often, and spread your sunshine from the beyond.

Mads

[mcflymemes]

TICK, TICK... BOOM! PROMPTS *  assorted dialogue from the 2021 film, adjust as necessary

lately, i've been hearing this... sound.

the fuse has been lit.

i wasn't sure whether you would want me here.

you're thinking about how to turn this into a song, aren't you?

what's the point of having money if you can't spend it on the people you love?

make a wish.

why didn't you tell me sooner?

i can't keep waiting. this is my life.

i've been telling you for months how unhappy i am.

in just over a week... i will be thirty years old.

can we go inside now? i'm just... i'm sorry. i'm scared i'm beginning to lose sensation in my extremities.

i've heard the dancing is amazing, but the music sucks.

in eight days, my youth will be over forever and what exactly do i have to show for myself?

you are an angel on earth.

is this real life?

you know what, [name]? i'm done.

i don't know how to get through to you anymore. you keep shutting me out. you put up these fences.

i could get used to you.

well, guess what. you're not stephen sondheim.

i don't understand how you can take any of this seriously.

this has never happened to me before.

you are such a baby.

this is the last time. seriously.

you didn't have to say it. it's implied.

what are you doing with your life that's so noble?

then what are we even...? what do you want?

you're not going to pay. i don't want you to pay.

i like to see if i can write a song about anything.

somebody needs to take out this trash.

oh, spare me the self-righteousness.

this has been sitting here for a week.

you're coming next friday, right?

hey, can we talk about how amazing you were tonight?

you know how much he loves making a fuss. especially about you.

this is the biggest break i've ever had. this is that moment.

you need to ask yourself: in this moment, are you letting yourself be led by fear or by love?

can't you be optimistic?

you just quit?

are they paying you?

i'm allowing myself to be led by love.

i wish you didn't have to think like that.

how will i ever survive?

it's expensive to make art.

how are you going to pay for that?

you know, for someone who's broke, you could probably spend a little bit less on party planning.

have you found a new roommate yet?

what time's the show tonight?

i'm leaving you my mix tapes. you can play them in remembrance of me.

thank you for being so supportive of my work.

actually, it's not just show tunes. it's a very eclectic mix.

i'm happy for you. i really am. i mean, i'm also extremely bitter and jealous and envious and hateful toward you right now...

i'm the future of musical theater.

i just needed some fresh air.

you know, you're the only person who's ever said that. just so you know.

it's going to be quite the event.

so can i count you in?

call me if you need inspiration.

you know how stubborn he is. he's a pain in the ass.

why can't i write this song?

thank you for your patience.

um... can you explain it, maybe?

thank you for everything.

nobody is doing enough. i'm not doing enough.

why didn't you tell me you were coming?

can we talk about it tonight?

i'd love to take you to lunch, celebrate your birthday.

you're going to write the next great american musical in the next ten minutes?

[bewareofitalics]

Random Obscure Musical Recs(?): La Tempesta/Prospera

Finally getting back to these! It's been a year since Tom Jones died, so I figured I'd celebrate him by highlighting this (these) show(s) of his which someone should have produced by now. We got a production of an unfinished Sondheim show, how has no one picked up what the librettist of the longest-running musical in the world has called his best work? (Okay, there was a Japanese production in 2019. At least Japan appreciates Tom Jones!)

La Tempesta, unsurprisingly, is an adaptation of The Tempest. In a 2012 interview, Jones explained that the Italian title is "in honor of a production by the Piccolo Teatro di Milano, an innovative Italian company whose work also inspired many of the theatrical devices used in The Fantasticks." Somewhere between September 2021 and June 2022, the show was rewritten as Prospera, with a female lead. I'm not sure if both versions are available for production (like the two versions of The Fantasticks), or if only Prospera is. I think the latter. But there are pages for both La Tempesta and Prospera on jonesandschmidt.com. I haven't been able to find anything Jones said about the rewrite. Did he think that having Prospera rather than Prospero worked better thematically? Did he just think there should be more roles for middle-aged women? I don't know, and I probably never will. Unless the show gets produced and the composer, Andrew Gerle, talks about it, I guess.

For a synopsis, see The Tempest. Or, see Prospera's whole script! The musical doesn't follow the play exactly, but it's close enough that if you know it, you can get what's happening in the songs. It's been a while since I've seen or read The Tempest so when reading Prospera I wasn't always sure if something was in the original not, but I can say that there's more emphasis on Prospera's anger and the way it affects her (same goes for Prospero in La Tempesta). And she gets a confrontation with Antonio! Which I'd forgotten that Prospero really doesn't in the play until I checked just now to see how the scenes differed! Here's the author's note from the script:

Containing traditional musical theatre songs and a fantastical electronic score, PROSPERA is based on Shakespeare’s play, but in this version, the Tempest is not just the great storm Prospera creates to shipwreck her enemies. It is the storm inside herself, the raging anger and the need to punish those who took away her kingdom and cast her and her infant daughter Miranda out to sea on a rotting ship. Likewise, in this version her two spirits, Ariel and Caliban, are not just offsprings of some forgotten witch but somehow part of herself, twisting images of dark and light constantly intertwined. The story of the play is the process by which Prospera is finally able to forgive her enemies and free herself from the heavy burden of hatred and revenge. When this is done, she breaks her magic staff and bids the audience, and the world, farewell.

There were of course some extra changes made for Prospera, like Antonio being the title character's counselor instead of her brother and Gonzalo being Consuela. Trinculo is described as "possibly male, possibly female, possibly both" - dunno if that was also true for La Tempesta. Ariel is female in both versions (and she gets some interesting story changes). "Thy mother was a piece of virtue, and/She said thou wast my daughter" became "The mid-wife said so, and she was a woman of some experience," which was a relief because I have never recovered from seeing that scene done with Prospero played by and as a woman and saying that line as "Thy father was a piece of virtue," etc. which makes no sense. But I digress.

A lot of the dialogue is based on Shakespeare, rewritten in a way that might bother people who have the original basically memorized (judging by my reaction to Twelfth Night adaptations). I think there are a few lines of actual Shakespeare left, and also a lot that's original to Jones, written in a poetic style similar to The Fantasticks. The metatheatrical elements will also be familiar to fans of Jones's other work. He knew what he liked. <3

And, the songs! The songs are great, with a really cool sound. Which is very different from Harvey Schmidt's, but that's okay! This makes me want to hear more from Andrew Gerle. You can listen to demos at the jonesandschmidt.com links above, and also I've uploaded them here and here. Some tracks are the same in both versions, in part or in full, so the Prospera changes aren't always reflected. The casting isn't always consistent between tracks and the cast lists on the site aren't completely accurate, but I think the artist info in the files I uploaded is correct. I'm just not sure who sings Caliban's solo - T. Oliver Reid is the only Caliban listed, but it doesn't sound like him. It might be Gerle? I am fairly certain that Jones has a cameo as Gonzalo in the opening. :D

Here's a video with clips of the Japanese production set to the La Tempesta demo:

And another video with Prospera demos:

And here's Tom Jones talking about the show, pre-rewrite (but mentioning how he created the Antonio confrontation, guess it's been too long since I watched this):

I miss him. :(

Sample songs and some more stuff below the cut!

Prospera and Caliban's backstory.

Okay this is actually three songs, but only one track so I'm not cheating! Ariel draws out Ferdinand, who sings a duet with Miranda before they meet, and also after. Ferdinand and Miranda here are Max Crumm and Samantha Bruce, who I saw as Matt and Luisa in The Fantasticks together.

Antonio and Sebastian plot!

The script has three songs that aren't on the demo: a reprise of "Full Fathom Five" for Ariel and Alonso, a reprise of "One Day When It Was Raining" when Caliban tries to convince Stephano and Trinculo to kill Prospera, and in place of the masque, "See the Snow" for Ariel, which seems to start as a reprise of "Hear the Music" but then go in another direction (it's hard to tell with just text, sigh). "See the Snow" reminds me of something Tom Jones said about the ending of The Fantasticks, and that was in the same interview where I first heard him talk about La Tempesta, so I wouldn't be surprised if it was a conscious connection. So here are some of the lyrics:

SEE THE SNOW: IT’S FALLING SOFTLY. FEEL ITS FINGERS TOUCH YOUR SKIN. SEE THE OLD WORLD BEING COVERED SO A NEW WORLD CAN BEGIN. GONE ARE ALL THE DARKENED SHADOWS, DISAPPEARED WITHOUT A TRACE. IN THEIR PLACE, A NEW BEGINNING. IN THEIR PLACE, A STATE OF GRACE. WHITE AS A PAGE THAT’S NOT YET WRITTEN. SWEET AS A LONGED FOR SECOND CHANCE.

Here's hoping for a real cast album with everything on it someday! And just in case it isn't clear, I absolutely do recommend this one.

Get more random obscure musical recs(?) here!

[mygreatadventurehasbegun]

My Favorite New-To-Me Movies of 2023

Women Talking

This movie won the Oscar of Best Adapted Screenplay and deservedly so...it's scenes are so tightly written and delivered so beautifully by the incredible cast of actresses, that it held my attention for the entire runtime. Every performance was fantastic, and I wish at least one of them had received recognition from the Academy...personally my vote would have been for Claire Foy, but any one of them could have walked away with a nomination.

Pearl

This was such an interesting horror flick...the saturated color palette, the extreme bursts of violence and of course, the magnificent performance by Mia Goth. She was absolutely fascinating to watch...the character of Pearl is so desperate to leave her home and to become a star that she will stop at nothing to get what she wants.

They Shoot Horses, Don't They?

While I consider this to be one of the best movies I've seen this year...it's not necessarily one I'd ever want to watch again. At least not in the near future...because this movie is bleak. During the Great Depression, a group of people sign up for a dance marathon with the hope of winning the prize money. All the characters are so compelling and interesting to watch. Absolutely recommend watching it, especially for Jane Fonda's outstanding performance...but you might finish the movie a bit depressed.

Deathtrap

Man, this movie is fun. It's the kind of movie that I can't say too much about, because the plot is so full of twists...but the basic idea is: A famous playwright, coming off a string of flops, learns that his former student has written a surefire hit play, and he conspires to murder his student and take the play as his own. And you have Christopher Reeve wearing some fantastic sweaters.

Sweet Smell of Success

This movie is so good, I don't even know where to start. The performances, the writing, the cinematography...it's such a perfect example of a noir film (especially one that doesn't focus on a murder or a detective). I wasn't sure what to expect when I started, but from the moment I pressed play, I was completely engrossed.

The Last of Sheila

I really caught up on my murder mysteries this year...and The Last of Sheila is a really great one. Another movie that I can't say too much about because of it's twisty plot...but I will say you can definitely see how it influenced Rian Johnson for his Knives Out films. Also, this was co-written by Anthony Perkins and Stephen Sondheim!

Catch-22

I blind bought this one after Alan Arkin's death...I had never seen it, but thought it seemed like a fun enough film to take the gamble on. And boy, was I right! While I can see why some critics didn't love it back then, this movie is so wonderfully bonkers, I can't help but love it! The witty dialogue, clever shot composition and excellent performances by a massive cast make this movie a real treat!

Home Before Dark

This was a very random find for me...I actually just came across it on TV when it was starting and decided to stick with it (just like the olden days, get off my lawn). And while the movie itself isn't perfect, I was completely drawn in by Jean Simmons' performance. Her character has just returned home from a stay at an asylum, and while she tries to reacclimate to life at home, we start to see her lose it again...but we aren't sure if she is actually being pushed towards that breakdown intentionally. It has a few shades of the movie Gaslight, for sure.

The Collector

This may have been my favorite new-to-me movie of the year! It is such an intense and uncomfortable film, with amazing performances by the two lead actors and an ending that I did not see coming. Given the story and the setting, I could almost see this easily being turned into a stage play...I'd love to see a theater try and capture the claustrophobic feeling you get when Miranda is trapped in that cellar.

A few honorable mentions are: All Quiet on the Western Front (2022), The Thin Man, Sound of Metal, Persona and Somewhere in Time (this one mostly for the melodrama, lol)

Here's to more movies in 2024!

[chthonic-cassandra]

But when I got back to the New York for the NBC taping, Steve [Sondheim] called and said, "Let's talk." I didn't talk much; he did. He showed me the new place he'd just bought for $115,000 thanks to the movie deal for Gypsy, which promptly fell through but then came together again. It was a town house on East Forty-ninth Street in Turtle Bay Gardens, next door to Katherine Hepburn. "This is where we could live," he explained, showing me the bottom two floors, which were then a duplex, "And there's plenty of room upstairs for the kids." [...] He never used the M-word and neither did I. But that's what it was intended to be; a marriage, at least of the trial variety. We gave ourselves a year [...] I know what you are saying: Mary, don't! Had I not just freed myself from this sort of thing with my first husband [who was gay and closeted]? Well, no. I was a patsy in that marriage. Here I would be - what? A co-conspirator? The follier half of a folie á duex? And what would Steven be? Even if I loved him, and I did, what was in it for him? But his shrink [...] was pushing him to have a "normal" relationship, and perhaps not having to push too hard. Together, I thought, she and Steve would fix his problem, and together, I thought, he and I would fix mine. [...] Even though he was thirty, I don't think Steve had the foggiest idea what people who love each other did. Which begs the question: Did we love each other? Can one beg an answer? He wasn't in love with me, certainly, and I wasn't really physically attracted to him. I just loved him, thoroughly enough for nothing else to matter. Do you not believe in that? Have you never seen Carousel? So we would get into the same bed, side by side, frozen with fear. We just lay there. We didn't discuss anything; we didn't do anything. If we touched, it was en passant. [...] I didn't confront him. I just said, "Steve, this isn't working, is it?" And he just said, "No, it's not." Not meanly. Merely an observation. I'm not sure he would have known how to call it off himself.

Mary Rodgers and Jesse Green, Shy: The Alarmingly Outspoken Memoirs of Mary Rodgers

In addition to continuing to be heartbreakingly sad, this is also just. Literally. Marry Me A Little.

[muppetjackrackham]

i want to take a moment to sit down and talk a little bit about sweeney todd.

my good friend @allthemidnightmemories has already talked about what this revival has meant to her and i want to do the same. like m, i grew up knowing who josh groban was for most of my life, but it wasn't until the last few years that i really started to connect to his music. after natasha, pierre and the great comet of 1812, i started paying more attention to his work, listening to songs like if i can't love her and dust and ashes every once in awhile and occasionally commiserating with great comet fans about the 2017 tony awards.

then they announced the revival.

now i'll admit, i was skeptical at first. josh groban as sweeney todd? the demon barber of fleet street? i wasn't nearly as invested in sweeney todd as i would be, but i had seen the 2007 film and i had a very hard time wrapping my head around the notion of josh groban playing sweeney todd on broadway...but it certainly kept my attention.

when i was a kid, i used to love musicals. i grew up with the films of the disney renaissance (i'm sure it will come as no surprise that the lion king was my personal favourite 🦁) and graduated to other musicals and films like moulin rouge and phantom of the opera. when i was in high school, i auditioned for a few of them myself. i was also bullied and picked on, which led me to quitting choir and theatre and putting as much distance between myself and the performing arts as i could. i stopped watching the films i loved, i stopped singing along in the car and the shower, and although there were a few notable exceptions every now and then, i was convinced i would never be able to enjoy it the way i used to.

sweeney todd changed that.

it was the first time in a long time i had really, truly cared about a musical. i kept up with the announcements. i read every article i could get my hands on. i watched every interview the second it was available, and when it finally started previews, i hunted down every single bootleg audio i could find until eventually i got my hands on a proper bootleg (shoutout to @bikinibottomdayz for the bootleg i purchased from them, it's absolutely gorgeous and i highly recommend their services).

much like m, it feels strange that a musical about revenge, murder and bloodshed could be so comforting, but i truly could not be more grateful for the joy and the comfort it's brought me during this particular point in my life. it reignited the love i used to have for music, it brought beautiful and wonderful new people into my life like m and @twoheartsoneclara, @loverboygf and many, many others, and for that alone i could not be more thankful. what josh and annaleigh have done with these roles has been a joy and a privilege to experience. it has introduced me to new music i wouldn't have otherwise found (chess pa svenska at 1am you will always be famous), it has inspired me creatively, and it has, above all else, become something special beyond words.

ever since they announced this brilliant, bloody revival, i have taken it upon myself to watch as many versions as i could get my hands on, and while all of them have their strengths, there is something about this revival, from the cast to the costume design, the orchestration and set design, that will undoubtedly be my favourite version for years to come.

josh and annaleigh and the cast and crew of sweeney todd, you may never see this post, but know that you have brought some much needed joy to someone in a time of need, and that they will always be so very grateful for that experience. thank you for all your hard work, your blood, sweat and tears, your laughter, your tears, and your love for what you do and for this story.

to stephen sondheim, wherever you are, thank you.

thank you.

-🦁

[droughtofapathy]

The Gilded Age's Broadway Divas: Aurora Fane (Kelli O'Hara)

Beloved by all, Aurora Fane enjoys a powerful position in Mrs. Astor's New York. Having suitably recovered from impending financial ruin last season, this season, Aurora has done some ill-fated matchmaking, worn some fantastic hats, and provided beautiful window dressing to scenes where she just sits there and looks pretty.

One of Broadway's (few) leading sopranos, Kelli O'Hara is a dying breed. As trends shift towards a more pop/rock sound, and classical musical theatre becomes a thing of the past, Kelli nevertheless finds her niche. A seven-time Tony nominee, Kelli has won Best Leading Actress in a Musical for the 2015 revival of The King and I. You'll recall another Gilded Age Diva who won for that same role some years prior. A proshot of the NT Live production can be found online. It is a gorgeous shoot, even if I take issue with that show as a whole.

She has also been nominated for Kiss Me, Kate (2019), The Bridges of Madison County (2014), and The Light in the Piazza (2005). Ironically, though Aurora Fane supports The Academy, Kelli is a classically trained opera singer who has appeared on the Met Opera stage three times, and will play Laura Brown in an encore run of The Hours this spring. (See my breakdown post over costumes here.)

However, prior to her opera appearance, Kelli will be starring in the new Broadway musical Days of Wine and Roses for a limited 16-week run, opening on January 28th. Kelli has been nominated for every role she has played since 2005, and this will almost certainly be no different. Booked and busy.

#1: "Shall We Dance?" The King and I (2015)

Kelli's voice is otherworldly angelic. That much we already know very well. The King and I opened in 2015 at the Vivian Beaumont Theatre at Lincoln Center, the third musical Kelli has starred in at that venue. The Beaumont is, of course, right next to The Met Opera, and the only Broadway theater outside the theatre district in Midtown.

As Anna Leonowens, Kelli travels to Siam to teach the children and wives of the king how to speak English. Orientalism aside, the show is a classic Rodgers and Hammerstein, and the score is divine in Kelli's mouth. Fun fact: Kelli's replacement was Marin Mazzie in one of her last onstage roles. Marin was the Passion co-star and dear friend to Donna Murphy, our Mrs. Astor.

This video is from the 2015 Tony performance and showcases the incredible quick change Kelli makes between singing "Getting to Know You" and "Shall We Dance?" aided by a team of unbelievable dressers. It is a marvel to witness. As is Ruthie Ann Miles, Kelli's co-star who recently performed in the Encores! production of Light in the Piazza.

#2: "What More Do I Need?" Take Me to the World: A Sondheim 90th Birthday Celebration (2020)

In 2020, despite a global pandemic, the theatre community still found a way to honor Stephen Sondheim's milestone 90th birthday with an online concert. Kelli performed a song from Saturday Night, Sondheim's first professional musical that was slated for Broadway in 1955, but was scrapped. It only got its New York premiere in 2000. This particular number is a cabaret favorite, and Kelli is an absolute delight with just a camera and digital accompaniment.

Fun fact: it wasn't until this particular performance that I truly started to appreciate the wonder that is Kelli O'Hara. I had previously seen her in concert just that March, and loved her, of course, but I have a complex relationships with sopranos. I now recognize that I love mature sopranos, but it's the ingenues I can't listen to without wincing.

#3: "They Don't Let You In the Opera" (2016)

Lest we think Kelli is limited in her range and style, this song was written especially for her to showcase her vast talent and comedic timing. Kelli, an Oklahoma farmgirl, isn't the sort of person you'd expect to be both classically trained and country literate.

Kelli, who has been typecast as refined and often repressed characters who go through harrowing emotional experiences, much like Aurora Fane, is more than capable of bringing a rollicking comedy to the mix.

This number is a favorite in Kelli's concert repertoire. There isn't much more to say, except that you need to witness its hilarity for yourself.

#4: “Heaven? Somebody else’s heaven?” The Hours (2023)

Speaking of opera, here is an excerpt from a scene in Act II where Laura Brown has fled to a hotel room to contemplate some very serious courses of action. Kelli, alongside soprano Renee Fleming and mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato, makes up a trio of phenomenal women in Kevin Putts' adaptation of the book and movie.

The Met Opera theatre seats nearly 4,000 people across six levels. The performers do not use body mics or amplification of any kind, but rather rely on intense vocal training to be heard across the theater. For this reason, alongside the vastly different vocal techniques and styles, musical theatre actors rarely cross over into opera, and vice versa. Notable exceptions include Renee Fleming, Kelli's Light in the Piazza co-star Victoria Clark, and Mary Beth Peil, who made her musical theatre debut in The King and I as yet another Miss Anna, hers in 1985.

#5: "So in Love," Kiss Me, Kate (2019)

Starring in yet another Golden Age musical revival, Kelli brings a different take on Lilli Vanessi, a glamorous movie star in a turbulent relationship. Kelli's vocal talent, of course, speaks for itself. For Kelli, this role was a tribute to her dear friend, the late Marin Mazzie, who had passed away some months before the show opened. Marin, who replaced Kelli in The King and I, had played this same role in the 1999 Broadway revival to great acclaim. In her first entrance of the show, Kelli wore a costume that featured the very same hat Marin wore in her show.

Though this video is beloved, my personal favorite rendition can be heard below. It was taken at a concert Kelli put on at the 92Y in New York last February. In it, Kelli sings for and to Marin, and the entire theatre wept.

Bonus: "Back to Before," Ragtime Reunion Concert (2023)

The role of Mother was originally workshopped by Donna Murphy in Toronto in the early 90s, but she left to do King and I, which worked out well for her. In came dear friend Marin Mazzie, who originated the role on Broadway, and established a precedent no other has been able to top. Also in that cast? Audra McDonald as Sarah, for which she won a Tony, of course.

In 2023, after years of pandemic-related delays, they staged a one-night reunion concert of this special show. And who better to take on Marin's iconic role than Kelli O'Hara? Listen to her "Back to Before" here, and then do yourself a favor and run, don't walk, to listen to Marin's.

[broadwaydivastournament]

Broadway Divas Tournament: Round 1D

After a decades' long working career, NaTasha Yvette Williams at last got her due this past year, winning a Grammy award for her performance as Sweet Sue in Some Like It Hot (2023), and netting a Tony nomination. Prior to that, she was in Chicken & Biscuits (2021), a show that deserved better, Waitress, and many stints as Mama Morton in the Chicago revival. She has performed in touring and regional productions across the country, and at Carnegie Hall.

The original Johanna in Sweeney Todd (1979), Sarah Rice (1955-2024) played just one Broadway show in her lifetime, but it is a role that will stay with us all forever. A deeply beloved cabaret performer, she has won MAC and Bistro awards, and was a regular feature at the long-running Sondheim Unplugged series. Even into her sixties, her soprano remained in good form, and her sly reminiscences delighted audiences month after month. Sarah Rice passed away in January of this year of cancer. She was 68.

PROPAGANDA AND MEDIA UNDER CUT: ALL POLLS HERE

"It's about damn time NaTasha Yvette Williams got her due. What a powerhouse voice. I was mixed on Some Like it Hot, but all-in on Sweet Sue. What are we doing to get NaTasha in a bold and brassy role on Broadway?"

"Many Divas have passed away in the last few years, all brilliant, wonderful talents, but Sarah Rice was someone closer than all those distant stars. I watched her perform month after month at Sondheim Unplugged, sometimes just feet in front of me. I listened to her colorful stories about the antics she got up to with Angela Lansbury and the Sweeney cast. I laughed with her, and cried, and loved that velvet duster she wore every time. I even helped her down the stairs and off the stage once, for all the good I was. When she stopped showing up, I knew. I knew something wasn't right. But I still wasn't ready to hear it. The last song I ever heard Sarah perform was not "Goodbye for Now," which would have been all too eerie. It wasn't even "Green Finch and Linnet Bird." It was "Stay With Me." And I wish she had."

[practically-an-x-man]

Oooh maybe Peter (any version of him) + "Please don't leave" for a snippet?

Ooooh alright! I think I'm actually gonna go with Peter Two (Tobey Maguire's version) for this one, just to switch it up a bit. And of course, I'm tossing my OC Ophelia in there, because why not?

____

"Can I ask you something?" Ophelia muttered, calmly suturing the harsh lacerations in Peter's shoulder. He was writhing in his seat, making it hard to keep the stitches even, and the sight of his ragged, bleeding flesh might've made another person look away. Ophelia didn't care. She'd seen worse in her anatomy lab. As far as she was concerned, it wasn't any different than stitching up an orange peel or flipping through her textbook.

"Ah- ah, take it easy!" Peter hissed, and she finally drew back with the needle. He shot her a look, then dropped the act. "What is it?"

"Why am I doing this instead of MJ right now?"

She dove back in with the sutures as soon as he started to speak, hoping the question might distract him from the pain.

"She's- dammit!- she's got a show. Runs late." he hissed. Ophelia hummed in acknowledgement as she reached for a towel, dabbing away the blood as it began to flow again. Peter had managed to goad her back home for Thanksgiving break, lured by the promise of May's cooking (and a few mild guilt-trips, most in the vein of "you're a part of our family too" and "she'll be cooking for three anyway- so much food will go to waste if you don't come), yet Ophelia had never expected her four days crashing in the Parkers' guest bedroom would turn into four late nights stitching up her best friend's wounds.

"Hm. What role?"

"Ensemble. Sunday in the Park with George."

"Hm. Sondheim. Nice." Ophelia muttered, distractedly, "Think I could snag a ticket before I ship back off to school?"

"I can-" His words cut off with a hiss as she prodded a particularly sensitive spot, and Ophelia winced sympathetically. She was nearly done, at least. Peter offered her a loose nod. "I can try to sneak you in. She'll be happy to see you."

"You'd better. You owe me one for all this, you know." she pointed out, finally tying off the last of the sutures and standing up from her seat, "Thought I was coming home for Thanksgiving dinner, not to be your on-call nurse."

She packed up the first-aid kit, tossed the refuse in the trash can near the door, and began to make her way out of the bedroom. Peter shifted in the bed, groaning as the motion pulled his wounds - the gashes in his shoulder were one of many, and Ophelia had spent close to an hour tending them all.

"Wait, Ol's-" he started, "Please don't leave. I'm sorry, I'm not- I'm not trying to make you my nurse. I didn't mean to take advantage of you like that."

Ophelia paused in the doorway, leaning her head back and almost laughing.

"Jesus, Peter, I'm joking!" she huffed, "Or maybe not joking, but I'm... exaggerating. I'm not just gonna let my best friend bleed out in front of me. It's fine."

He visibly relaxed on the bed. She hadn't realized he was taking it so seriously. Harry had always known how to take her humor, blunt and dry as it may often be. It was easy to forget she hadn't known Peter nearly as long.

The thought sparked a dark flame of grief in her chest, but Ophelia snuffed it out as quickly as it came. She'd deal with that later. Eventually.

"But you still owe me a ticket to that show."

[owlpuddle]

God I absolutely loved this show. I bought another ticket for tonight after seeing it yesterday because I wanted to spend more time with it. What a good note to end Sondheim's career on.

All of my thoughts here may have spoilers for HWA but are probably incomprehensible without seeing it anyway

I went bananas for Anyone Can Whistle this past month, and this show has really similar vibes, of broad characters doing absurd farcical things in an unreal setting. It really really scratched that itch for me.

The music is playful and fun, and Sondheim expressed anxiety that his work was sounding derivative to him but I think this all felt very fresh. I'm excited for the cast album

There's also more music than I expected, and I wouldn't have noticed when we stopped getting songs if I didn't already know about it. In this show, the songs happen as artifice and the later moments of breakdown and truth are done without it. Did they intend to subvert the traditional musical theatre trope of song as big emotional truth telling? Maybe! The book scenes are really good regardless so I wasn't missing the music.

"Wake up it's the end of the world you morons!"

Denis O'Hare was amazing, so was Micaela Diamond, so was this absolute rock star cast

"What was that?" "Maybe another waiter"

The cloned dogs

The sets were good. The effect of the library being drawn backwards as they escape was very cool.

Bishop song

Bishop and Marianne scene. "Happy birthday, make a wish" really got me

Fritz saying "but that's like my chair" before the soldier crushes it is a really nice moment of a tiny agony

i like that we don't get a lot of Marianne's interiority, like she as a character is allowed to keep secrets from us. From the song about superficiality to her last lines like "she finally remembered the thing she had to do. And she didn't tell anybody, she just did it." Rachel Bay Jones did a wonderful job with her

"let's make love then kill ourselves!" "... how about we see how the sex goes first."

"Where did we go wrong?" "Brunch. The first fatal mistake."