#the production and costumes were gorgeous and the orchestra was lovely

[mister-brightside]

ok back to amadeus. it goes without saying that michael sheen as salieri was STUNNING like my god the man has so much RANGE uuuuggghghh he was so cute and clearly having so much fun playing a villain character and every sinister whisper and roared monologue was captivating

also toby schmitz SERVED

[angel-with-paper-wings]

Seeing POTO Live: Part 2 (Show Review)

This is my personal review of my first time seeing a live production of The Phantom of the Opera, on the West End on May 20th 2024 (see Part 1 of this post for that crazy story). The main trio cast was: Lily Kerhoas as Christine, Jon Robyns as The Phantom, and Joe Griffiths-Brown (I will list the rest of the cast as I mention their characters).

Act 1:

Auction/Overture:

JAMES GANT HIMSELF WAS THE AUCTIONEER 🤩🤩 TWO PHANTOMS IN ONE NIGHT, I CANT BELIEVE MY LUCK 

He was totally channeling the Phantom when it got to the “Lot 666…” part, I got chills

I was watching Raoul (Joe Griffiths-Brown) like a hawk during the auction scene because I wanted to study his acting, and he did not disappoint. When the music box came out, he leaned forward and touched it longingly with his fingertips 🥺 And he spoke in this hushed, gravelly old man voice that was so accurate. No notes.

THE OVERTURE

SCREAMING CRYING THROWING UP

ITS JUST AS MAGICAL AS I ALWAYS DREAMED 😍😍😍

I totally got flashbanged by the chandelier 😂😂 (the sparks and pyro effects in this musical are BRIGHT)

Hannibal/Think of Me:

Both Carlotta (Lily de-la-Haye) and Piangi (David Kristopher-Brown) SLAYED, not only with their singing but their comedy bits were perfectly timed

Guys these costumes are SPARKLY 😍😍✨✨ like I didn’t realize until seeing it live but almost EVERY costume has sparkles and it makes everything look gorgeous under the stage lights

This Andre (Adam Linstead) and Firmin (Matt Harrop) were SO FUNNY OMG

Andre was such a little fanboy over Carlotta, and Firmin was like a grumpy old man

Lily’s “Think of Me” was DELIGHTFUL, her voice is so smooth and sweet! When she started her “audition” her voice was VERY quiet (barely audible), but once she got going she had such a beautiful crystal-clear tone.

Again, I was watching Joe Griffiths-Brown a lot during “Think of Me” because I wanted to watch his reactions. For a while, Raoul didn’t really look at the stage to see Christine playing Elissa, he was too busy looking at his programme and greeting the managers when they joined his box. But eventually he saw her, and then he looked back down at his programme to search for her name and check if it was really her! I loved it and thought it was such a neat acting detail!!!

Angel of Music/Little Lotte:

While Madame Giry is scolding the ballerinas for being “a disgrace”, Christine was talking with… some dude?? I couldn’t really tell who it was, but I’m almost certain it wasn’t Raoul or either of the managers. It looked like a stagehand. Does anyone know who this is and why she was talking to him? I’ve never noticed this detail before in other productions.

OMG BRUNETTE MEG NATION RISE UP

Meg (Maiya Hikasa) has a few extra lines during the show that I haven’t heard before, and the one I remember best was a little frustrated remark after Madame Giry told her to go off and practice: it was something like “There’s always more practice.” I thought it was cool that they gave her a bit more character!

Okay idk if this was intentional, but during the beginning of “Angel of Music”, Christine’s dressing room set was covered by a curtain but illuminated from the inside by a lamp, and the wardrobe mistress was in there arranging her dressing gown. But since Christine was singing about her father at the time, I thought that part of the stage was like a “flashback” scene to show us what Christine was remembering in her mind. Idk if that makes sense, but that was what crossed my mind. 

Idk if this was intentional either (or maybe it was just the angle from where I was sitting) but you could see the actual conductor of the show reflected in the mirror from the orchestra pit, which I thought was cool and tied things together thematically

Lily’s Christine was quite hesitant and timid when Raoul came to see her in her dressing room. I liked this choice because to me, it showed that even though she is happy to see him, Christine is aware that the Phantom is listening and she is afraid for Raoul’s safety.

And Joe was just so sweet and charming the whole time!! He didn’t seem too demanding when he said they’ll go to supper, which is a plus for me.

HEEHEE JON ROBYNS HAS A PERFECT PHANTOM VOICE AND NO ONE CAN TELL ME OTHERWISE

He has a very mixed range which I like in a Phantom, going from a higher goblin-y voice to a really low seductive growl on “I am your Angel of Music…”

Title Song:

God I just love the scenery changes that happen during this song, they are nothing short of STUNNING

Lily’s and Jon’s voices sound SO GREAT together

When the candles started raising out of the stage, Christine leaned forward in the boat and looked so enraptured (same), and I don’t think the Phantom took his eyes off of her once during the whole song (again, same)

Unfortunately, there was no cape swirl because poor Jon dropped the cape 😭😭 I felt so bad for him but he recovered very well (let’s just say he was so awed by Christine’s singing that his hands stopped working)

Lily’s high notes at the very end had almost no vibrato and were very choral-sounding, if that makes sense. They kinda reminded me of Emmy Rossum’s high notes in the 2004 movie. Overall very nice.

Music of the Night:

Jon Robyns made this song look EASY. His vocals and acting choices were top notch, it was a treat to watch.

In the pause after “abandon their defenses…” when Christine looks away from the Phantom and towards the audience, he gasped and touched his mask as if ensuring it was still there. SUCH a great detail 🥺

He WHIMPERED when Christine touched him during the portcullis sprawl (after that, I wasn’t sure I would survive PONR, the horniness was too strong)

Lily’s Christine seemed quite unsure about the Phantom’s sensual touches at first, especially when he went in for the iconic pose, but then she relaxed and just fell against his arm

His “touch me” was the lowest sensual whisper I— 😩🥵

Christine touched his mask for a good couple of seconds during “savor each sensation”, but then it looked like her thumb went underneath the edge and was about to take it off, and that was when the Phantom pulled her hand away. Great stuff 👍

I know why they don’t do it anymore, but I miss the catch 😭 Christine fell to the floor and Jon’s Phantom reached out for her, before grabbing the cloak and covering her up. Then he knelt down next to her with his hands on his knees (like a lil kid) to say “you alone can make…” it was adorable and so sad 🥹

Stranger Than You Dreamt It:

When Christine first lays eyes on Erik’s deformity, she doesn’t flinch until he lunges at her. But then later, after she returned his mask, she flinched right away as if expecting him to lunge at her again 🥺

She even pushed herself as far away from him as she could when he began STYDI

He dragged—and I mean DRAGGED— himself across the door on his belly

Also he gave this like angry grunt before “repulsive carcass”

Jon’s voice sounded so scary, but his “dreams of beauty” and “oh, Christine” were WHIMPERS 😭😭😭

PATHETIC LITTLE MEOW MEOW ENERGY

After “oh, Christine”, he covered his face with both hands and sat on his knees with his back to the audience. When Christine handed him the mask, he ripped it out of her hand and put it back on.

Notes I/Prima Donna:

Excellent chemistry between Adam Linstead and Matt Harrop as the managers, I couldn’t get enough of their antics

This scene was where Joe Griffiths-Brown began to show his colors as a more aggressive Raoul, akin to Hadley Fraser in the 25th anniversary. Whether you prefer this portrayal of Raoul or not, I think it worked well here.

While the managers are busy singing “Prima Donna” with Carlotta and Piangi, Raoul was seen chatting with Madame Giry (Francesca Ellis). There were a couple more moments in the show where they are seen talking together or sharing a knowing look, which I’ve never really noticed before when watching recordings/bootlegs. It makes their little one-on-one discussion after “Masquerade” seem less random because we know they are already familiar with each other.

Also, Joe Griffiths-Brown’s voice is STRONG, like it cut through all the rest of the voices and could be clearly heard at the end of “Prima Donna”

Il Muto:

Lily de-la-Haye’s croaks were kind of strange… like I know it’s a strange part of the musical, but they sounded less like croaks and more like big yells. Idk

Guys. Jon’s Phantom laugh. 😳😩 Deeper than the Mariana Trench. Sent chills up my spine.

After hearing the Phantom’s voice, Raoul starts searching for him around Box Five

Guys, Adam Linstead is HILARIOUS as Andre. He was shaking like a leaf when he had to go out and announce the change in plan, flipping through his programme nervously. And his antics with the ballet dancers seemed so naturally clumsy!

“the ~BALLET~” 😂😂😂

When the scary silhouettes of the Phantom were showing up during the ballet, they were spotted by the shepherd dancer (Jacob Hughes), and he looked SO SCARED. He had on this huge nervous smile, you could tell he was thinking “oh shit god please no”, it was just a good piece of acting

All I Ask of You:

Lily’s Christine was very up-front about what she wants from Raoul in this song. During “say you love me every waking moment…”, she had her hand out to him as if saying “these are the terms, you can either agree to them or be done.” This, along with some other moments later in the show, made Lily’s interpretation refreshingly strong and assertive.

Joe Griffiths-Brown was BORN to sing Raoul. His voice suits AIAOY so well

He did a lil twirl with his arms out during AIAOY as he said “then say you’ll share with me…” and it was the sweetest thing ever 🥹

THE KISS!!! 😍😍 Raoul kissed Christine first (it was a little earlier than I was expecting), but after he pulled away Christine leaned in and gave him a bigger kiss back!

AIAOY Reprise:

Behind me, a girl went *gasp* “SHIT” when the Pegasus turned and revealed the Phantom, and that alone was worth the price of admission. (Btw, that moment of shock is exactly why you wait to reveal that the Phantom is eavesdropping until AFTER Christine and Raoul leave the rooftop… unlike SOME versions *glares at 2004 movie 😒)

Jon made me cry with his “I gave you my music…”

HIS WHIMPERS WHEN HE HEARS RAOUL AND CHRISTINE SINGING, Y’ALL I AM UNWELL

The horse statue is center-stage during this part, and the Phantom is perched right on top (VERY high up, holy shit). As he sang “you will curse…” he looked down at the audience and istg STRAIGHT AT ME 😳 (I was sitting dead center). Even though he definitely wasn’t staring at me in particular, I felt like we had a moment.

Act 2:

Masquerade/Why So Silent:

THE COSTUMES

SO SPARKLY ✨✨✨✨✨

AND SO DETAILED

AAAAAAAAAA MY EYES CANNOT HANDLE SUCH MAJESTY

If you’re like me and have only ever seen photos/video of the Masquerade scene, let me tell you that it does NOT do them justice

Speaking of which… I would like to formally apologize for hating on Christine’s “Star Princess” dress. It is a LOT prettier in person. I understand the hype now.

There was another moment where Raoul was seen chatting with Madame Giry about something. Again, this makes their convo at the end of this song make more sense since they already know each other.

Omg the Phantom’s entrance was STUNNING

Y’all how does he balance his big ol’ hat??? It’s just a big red puffball on top of his head lmao

Some people in the audience laughed in shock when the skull mask’s jaw started moving

Got flashbanged so I didn’t see the Phantom go down the trap door (which I guess is the whole point of the flashbang lol)

The convo between Raoul and Madame Giry was kinda rushed. Madame Giry reveals some important information about the Phantom’s backstory here, but Raoul was talking over her at some points and it was hard to hear.

Notes II:

I kinda wanted more acting-wise from Lily (Christine) during this scene… I was hoping she would get more angry at Carlotta and the managers, but she seemed oddly quiet. I think she was trying to convey how Christine is tired of all the bullshit happening around her during this scene. She was just done with everything.

Her “I cannot sing it, duty or not” and “I can’t. I won’t do it.” were certain and final.

Again, Joe’s Raoul was rather aggressive during this scene when he was coming up with the plan to trap the Phantom. Of course he was still gentle with her physically, but he was not hearing any arguments against the plan.

Having both a stubborn Christine and a stubborn Raoul seems like a difficult thing to make work, but I think it did in this show! Their clash during this scene makes Christine’s storming out more realistic—she has lost all her patience and just needs to be alone.

Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again:

Lily really shone here. This was her moment, and she did not disappoint.

“Little Lotte thought of everything and nothing…” sounded so defeated and sad 😔

Her voice is just very nice to listen to. It’s not as classically operatic as some other Christines, it has more of a modern musical theater flair, but it suits the role very well imo.

When it got to “too many years…”, she let out all of her repressed anger and frustration in a powerful final chorus. It was very satisfying.

Wandering Child:

“Far-reaching gaze”

Damn these three sound SO GOOD together!!! Their vocals blend perfectly with each other

The sparks from the staff were cool! I’m always worried that they will look cheesy (and yeah, they kinda do), but Jon Robyns was selling it

GOD that fire effect at the end is HOTTT 🔥🔥🔥

Point of No Return:

Oh boy, this one was fun

His “preeeeeeey” was so long and creepy 😳

Maybe I’m just a simp, but I kinda wanted their acting to be a bit more sexy… like I don’t think Lily’s Christine was into it as much as I’ve seen some other Christines get into it, but it was spicy enough

You could tell the moment Christine realized it was the Phantom under the cloak, a look of understanding passed over her face. In the pause before she starts singing her verse, she was thinking for a bit… and then her “decided…” was so long and sultry.

Based on how she acted during this song from that point on, my theory is that she put together her own plan to trap the Phantom by using his lust for her against him. She went along with the seductive choreo in order to expose him to the audience… her hand touched his mask, and it looked like she was going to pull of the hood then and there before he flinched away.

Once they were singing the final chorus, they were straight up arguing with each other. Christine was already letting out her spite and frustration ahead of the Final Lair, and sje was letting the Phantom have it.

After the hood is off, it is Christine who calls off the guards by holding out her hands. This didn't seem like a protective move to me, it seemed like she was just saying “not yet, it’s not the right time”.

When he said “Say you want me”, he patted his chest (like calling a cat lol)

OMG Raoul’s jump into the lake is HIGH like how is that even safe??? Massive props to all the Raouls, that looks scary as shit

Final Lair:

Holy. Shit.

No notes whatsoever.

It was perfection.

CHRISTINE LET ERIK HAVE IT

SHE WAS DONE PLAYING GAMES, SHE WAS SCOLDING HIM WITH ALL OF HER ANGER

And Erik was done too. He had so much disdain in his voice when he talked about his backstory, his bitterness felt so real and justified

When Raoul came in, Erik’s mood switched COMPLETELY to being a cocky lil shit 😂 He was having way too much fun teasing Raoul and mock-bowing to him and being a lil goblin

He also said a line I haven’t heard before! Instead of “I had rather hoped that you would come”, he said “I did not think we would be so blessed” or something like that. Idk if that’s a recent change or what, but it was hilarious because he said it dripping with sarcasm

After “tears of hate” when Christine ran back over to Raoul, she held both her hands out, one to protect Raoul and one to hold back Erik

Lily’s “You deceived me, I gave my mind blindly” was so angry and accusatory (as it should be, because it’s true)

“Make. Your. Choice.” Chills 😳🥶

THE KISS 😱😱😱💀💀💀 (I’m dead)

The first kiss surprised Erik…he held his arms out to the side, unsure what to do with them. Then during the hug he wrapped them around Christine’s waist (with his hands still splayed out). Then the second kiss he kept his arms where they were and ACTUALLY KISSED HER BACK, HE LEANED IN AND EVERYTHING

GOD I AM DECEASED 😭😭😭😭

He pulled away first, looking SO SHOCKED. He stumbled over to the other side of the stage, touching his lips with his fingers 🥺🥺

After he let Raoul go, he had to chase them out of the lair. His “go now and leave me” was the DEFINITION of heartbreaking 😭😭😭 I still haven’t recovered.

When he saw Christine had come back he looked SO HAPPY, but then he looked down and saw the ring, and you could see him just deflate 🥺🥺 she handed him the ring, and he just held her hand for a minute.

His “Christine, I love you” was LONGGG and it just ripped my heart apart further

Lily did NOT want to leave him. She lingered there for several seconds, before turning and running away, leaving Erik’s arm still outstretched 😭

GOD the little sobs he let out as he watched Raoul and Christine leave on the boat 😫 and he covered his ears again like in AIAOY reprise

Overall reflection:

It was SO GOOD. Like I cannot describe how perfect it was in so many different ways. The cast and crew were nothing short of PHENOMENAL and I already cannot wait for a chance to see it again, however long that takes!!

I am an unapologetic RAH 25th anniversary stan, and the Ramin/Sierra/Hadley trio will always hold a special place in my heart (it’s more like a chokehold but I digress). I bring this up because I was SHOOK with how similar the current West End cast sounded to the 25th anniversary cast. Some of the acting choices were also quite similar, especially Joe’s Raoul and Jon’s Phantom. Overall, the three complimented each other very well vocally and the directions in which they took their characters worked together very nicely to tell a cohesive story.

I didn’t really know what to make of Lily Kerhoas’s Christine at first. I kinda felt like I wanted a bit more from her acting-wise, but as the show went on and the more I thought about it, I started to understand the journey she was taking with her Christine throughout the show. She starts out very shy during the Hannibal audition scene and “Little Lotte”, and only during MOTN do we start to see her come out of her shell a bit. Over the course of the show, she learns to become more confident and to stand up for herself and her needs against Joe’s very assertive Raoul and Jon’s very needy Phantom. I really liked this, because too often Christine is written off as another sweet innocent ingenue who is seduced by the Phantom, but Lily’s Christine was nothing like that. She had her own goals in mind and held onto them stubbornly, which led to her having the upper hand  in a lot of scenes. Perhaps not my favorite portrayal of Christine, but it was a refreshing change!

Joe Griffiths-Brown plays a very serious and determined Raoul that reminded me a lot of Hadley Fraser’s “out for blood” portrayal in the 25th anniversary production. He has his moments of sweetness of course, and he is very protective of Christine during AIAOY and the Final Lair. He definitely wasn't the sweet, golden-boi Raoul from the original novel, but alongside Lily’s very courageous Christine and Jon’s emotional Phantom I thought he was a great fit. Plus, he was pretty to look at. 🤭🫠

Jon Robyns NAILED IT. He mastered the balance between a terrifying force of nature and an emotionally broken man. His emotions felt real in the way that he said/sang each line… he meant every word he was saying. I think I would have liked a bit more physical sensuality from him (his Phantom Hands™️ were not as special as others I’ve seen), but other than that I cannot fault his portrayal. He ripped my heart out of my chest and stomped on it, and I said thank you.

Bonus:

My parents were waiting to meet me outside of the theatre after the show ended. According to them, the first person to leave the theatre was a teenage girl—she exited the doors with her hands stretched to the dark London sky, tears in her eyes, and said “OH MY GOD, I FEEL LIKE MY SOUL HAS BEEN RAPTURED!!!”

Same, girl. That pretty much sums it up.

[bumblingest-bee]

so i saw an absolutely delightful production of fiddler on the roof last night at olney theatre center. it was brilliant and if you're anywhere vaguely within the washington dc area you need to go see it before it closes on the 31st.

this staging was genius. it starts out in an ellis-island style immigration center that is slowly transformed into anatevka as tevye begins to sing about tradition. the other immigrants in the room become the characters of the play and the border guards become the russian soldiers. at the end, we return to the immigration center as they slowly walk through the doors to a new life, with tevye being the last to go. i'd heard about the concept before i went and was kind of apprehensive but now i want literally every production of fiddler to be done like this it was so good.

the performance itself was just wonderful! tevye was absurdly talented and uproariously funny. my favorite thing about his performance, though, was his interactions with his daughters. he was so believably loving and tender that i cried my eyes out and wanted to go hug my own dad for about 50 years. golde was undoubtedly my favorite golde i've ever seen - she was hilarious and likable and had impeccable chemistry with tevye.

the three daughters were all wonderful - tzeitel was the exact right mix of headstrong and sensible, hodel was adorable with perchik and had the whole theatre audibly sobbing after far from the home i love, and chava was so full of personality and had such a gorgeous voice that i wish she got to sing more.

the three love interests nearly stole the show! motel was adorably funny, perchik was my ideal socialist boyfriend as usual, and fyedka was so sweet and had such good chemistry with chava i wanted like ten more scenes with the two of them!!

the rest of the cast and the whole ensemble was great too. yente was yente. lazar wolf was bouncy, energetic, and actually very likable. the constable was chillingly believable. the fiddler on the roof herself danced around the stage barefoot like some kind of haunting, puck-like figure. and don't get me started on how beautiful the costumes and sets were, or how good the orchestra was, or the choreography!!

anyways i got an absurd amount of signatures at the stagedoor (the cast were all absolutely lovely) and walked out of the theatre literally skipping to my car in joy. i can't remember the last production that's left me walking on air like that! it was three hours of sheer catharsis and laughter and absolutely everything that fiddler on the roof should be.

[the-price-of-love]

i saw hadestown on broadway with my sister today and seeing as i haven't seen a live musical in... years (?) i really enjoyed the experience and wanted to document it into the void for future reference. tagging #hadestown not to throw this into the waters of the official tag but just for my own organizational purposes. anyways, rambles below the cut:

so first of all i didn't realize JORDAN FISHER (!) was going to be my orpheus (clearly i'm very new to this space hi) so my jaw did drop when i saw him on stage. and i did point him out and whisper "that's jordan fisher from MOVIES" to my sister when she asked who he was (she's younger). i also LOVED maia reficco as eurydice (she's so pretty and talented and does anyone else think she looks kind of like rachel zegler? especially in that costume/hairstyle?? just me???). i was sat up on the mezzanine because i thought it'd be better to see the whole stage but honestly the stage was pretty small so i regret not buying tickets down in the orchestra to see the actors' faces better. my favorite staging/lighting moment was during wait for me (which is SUCH a tune 10/10) when the hanging lights start swinging around in a circle and i was just. enchanted and entranced. generally though i loved so many of the lighting decisions in this show (especially when they played with the intensity, like when persephone asks why it's so bright down in hell and the stage lights go to a gazillion watts. chef's kiss, gorgeous, no notes, says the amateur fan who wouldn't be able to have notes anyway). also the moment when eurydice follows hades up the stairs to sign the contract and persephone puts her hand on her heart and looks after her sadly... ouch! when jordan fisher as orpheus turned around at the end (heartbreaking) my sister audibly gasped, and then when eurydice sank down into the floor i did start crying in the dark.

more general musical theatre-y thoughts/appreciation section: i had a LOT of fun sneaking glances at background actors who weren't the main focus of a scene just to see what they were up to (eg at the start when hades and persephone are having tea together silently despite the main action going on downstairs; also when orpheus and eurydice are in their lover era lying down hugging and kissing while singing/dancing occurs behind them. and towards the end orpheus/eurydice hug in the darkness for a whole song and i was so impressed at how still they were able to keep). and also just a general live show note: i LOVE how in plays/musicals they're able to make the entire story happen on just. one stage + one set of stairs + that upper balcony area. (i watched a bootleg of the west end production of next to normal recently and they had that same kind of stage set-up so i assume it's fairly standard for musicals?) but like—and this is especially true for relatively smaller stages—it just strikes me as such a fun creative challenge, and i'm always so impressed at how productions choose to utilize the limited stage space in new and interesting ways (like in hadestown the part in the stage that rotated as they walked? and the center circle that went up and down? the moment after the intermission when the steps on the side retreated and the stage just seemed to *expand*? SO fun. love love love.)

and finally i didn't know too much about this show going in so i didn't expect the whole worker's rights/immigration/capitalism subtext but i'd be sooo keen on reading analytical essays dissecting the way hadestown engages with and navigates these topics & themes. like i keep thinking about a version hadestown with illegal immigrants who are forced into unfair contracts w no legal protections... idk maybe there's something there? the parallels? i just think the same story and songs could be transplanted into so many different real-world settings and it'd be so interesting to see the implications play out!

also i can sense this is a very common opinion but i'll be so brave and say it again: queer hadestown would go soooo hard. when is somebody going to make that happen.

okay that's all! xx

[fitzrove]

Saw Evita Magdeburg & A+ loved it. Recommend that everyone go watch it!!!

Milica is sooooooo good as Eva & Patrick as Che, and the way their relationship is portrayed is really interesting (because there's a lot of focus on that, w Che as kind of a close friend/even lover [?] at the start instead of a cynical adversary & functioning as a representation of her genuine goals to make life better for herself and others until she loses sight of it by just focusing on power for herself). Milica's Eva hates and is uncomfortable with the adoration of the people when it's cultish but at the same time craves for them to adore and understand her & needs their love to sustain her identity and whole purpose of being. And she's really fighting for things tooth and nail, she conducts the orchestra for the lead-up to her last broadcast w so much ferocity even though Eva at that point is obviously suffering. Also loved the literal saint imagery for Eva in this production and the rest of the costuming choices!!!! Just looks really good all around, especially the leads.

The choreographies mostly kinda sucked (there was this six guy descamisado dance group that would dance like a boyband - look up b*t*s d*namite - in almost every single scene xD) and the ensemble could and would often overact (the spectacle that comes w a huge ensemble is amazing, but they werent musical actors - it was the magdeburg opera choir and children's choir + statists recruited with a newspaper ad some months ago ajskks) but that didnt really matter too much. Magaldi was a cross between a funny simp and Günther, Juan Peron was left kinda distant but the stiffness worked for me. There were some gorgeous bühnenbild/set design moments, esp with Evita's coffin/"statue stand" (when she was a saint).

And again, have to stress that Milica is a tour de force 👀🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏 So excited to see her as my favourite poto character Carlotta next year!

[supercantaloupe]

thoughts from intermission:

reduced orchestrations...i miss the double reeds!!

simplified sets too. more flying in than wheeled set pieces, and no turntable for the house set, just a big static room that rolls in and out. slightly disappointing i loved that rotating set piece

mics could use a little more balance when more than one person is making any noise it's hard to understand anyone

hoping for the onstage orchestra for the embassy waltz!! i love seeing the musicians onstage and they did it for the broadway and first nat'l tour of this production

the guy playing freddie is a real sleeper star...the show really makes you wait until act i is almost over to really see him but he is so cute. great voice great acting. i love him

higgins is really well acted too. ordinary man was delightful

costumes sooo pretty. always. sher productions no matter what are always gorgeous to look at

gddammit my mom and i were the only people in the theater to laugh at "i went to see aida, only they didn't do aida, they did gotterdammerung." idec that line is funny fuck you

enjoying it greatly. love my fair lady. great show great production

[elenavonkrolock]

Jekyll & Hyde - SPB, 29.12.22 - Review

I finally got around to writing my reviews about J&H and Bal Vampirov. Since I saw different casts at different dates and I suppose this is gonna be a really long post I decided to split it into three parts and write a separate review for each show))

Theatre of Musical Comedy, Saint Petersburg, 29.12.2022г.

cast:

Jekyll/Hyde - Kirill Gordeev

Lucy Harris - Nataliya Dievskaya

Emma Carew - Elena Gazaeva

John Utterson - Konstantin Kitanin

Sir Danvers - Andrey Matveev

Lady Beaconsfield - Elena Zabrodina

Nellie - Maria Reshavskaya

Spider - Alexey Shtykov

Simon Stride - Vitaliy Golovkin

Review —

Starting with some random information. I have to mention I have bootlegs of the show in several cast compositions many times but, especially since the show closed now, I was glad I managed to see some of the last performances live. In fact, I only had a ticket for the 30th at first and thought I would only make it to the stagedoor on 29th but when around 3,5 hours before the show as by a wonder a ticket appeared, I, of course, decided to take it in a heartbeat. Since I was staying in an apartment not very far from the theatre I went there a little earlier and met outside with friends. After a while I then noticed that someone was greeting me and when I turned around I figured out it was Elena, who just came to the theatre to get ready for the show. I then rushed to greet her as well, she congratulated me on getting to Piter again (since ofc she knew about my ✨adventure✨ at the border control the other day😵‍💫) and I also managed to hand over the bouquet of flowers I bought for her. 🥰 Honestly, after this small, coincidental meet-up my mood already went up by 1000 but by then I did not even expect just how much better this evening was still going to become. We then went inside the theatre, met some more friends there and just walked around, taking pictures. I also got a programme of the show which I asked some of the actors to sign the next day.

The show - I honestly don’t think I’ll be able to even closely describe my amazement about this show in words but overall it really was a breathtaking and fantastic experience and (no shade to other productions, I love the musical in general) I am now even more convinced that the Russian production is my favourite out of them. The costumes are gorgeous, the whole cast and ensemble is great, the orchestra and the music itself are also amazing… I was already impressed when the show started with Kirill’s Doctor Jekyll from the off giving some kind of “introduction” to the show and sort of explaining how every person is split into good and bad etc. also I really loved the stage design and how the scenery on stage switched for almost every scene, starting with scenes in the madhouse and then switching to Sie Danvers’ home, the red rat, and Doctor Jekyll’s Study or Laboratory all the time. 'Lost in the darkness' and 'I need to know' right at the beginning were really great scenes and I also have to remark that 'facade' (and its 1000 reprises) and the ensemble dancing scenes in general were really impressing. At the end of act 1 Hyde was sort of lighting a flame on stage and even though I sat in the 7th row, I was able to feel the warmth on my face.. (I’ll just mention my absolute favourites now bc otherwise it’s gonna be too long) One of my favourites was definitely the engagement scene, which was absolutely adorable. Also the fact that Henry and Emma wore matching clothes almost made my heart melt.🥺 I also adored the 'his work and nothing more' part. 'Alive' and 'dangerous game' were some really hot scenes as well, as was confrontation. At 'a new life' and ‘once upon a dream' I had trouble holding back my tears. And, I know it’s a very unpopular opinion, but ‘in his eyes' will forever be among my most favourite scenes in the whole show. Especially in this composition because Elena and Nataliya just sounded really great together. The final also left me in tears. This time was by the way one of the shows where Emma also dies in the end :'( So overall, the whole show was amazing.

Cast - starting with Jekyll/Hyde of course. As you might know, my favourite J&H unfortunately hasn’t been playing since 2018, so I had no chance of seeing him. Nevertheless, I saw both Kirill and Roman now and they were both great, though very different (about Roman I’ll write in the other review). To sum up, Kirill was an exceptional J&H, he found the perfect balance between a very introverted doctor who is pretty much focused on his work only and evil, savage Mr Hyde. To me personally, his Henry even seemed less sociable and a bit more cold/withdrawn than some other portrayals I’ve seen. While for others it seems the extreme obsession with work only developes over the course of the show and they did care a lot more for Emma before all that, he really seems to have chosen his work as his top priority right from the start and she only comes second. Nevertheless, the chemistry between him and Elena (and Natasha as well) was really good and they seemed like a very sweet couple during their engagement. Moreover, I have noticed that you sometimes see Hydes who are acting more beast-like and wild while others, like Kirill’s, seem to focus more on the evil, maniac side of the character. Overall, I really enjoyed his portrayal though. Emma. My favourite. I have to admit I wasn’t a huge fan of Emma and always thought she’s a rather boring character - until I saw Elena’s portrayal of her. I could write hours about how much I love her Emma, but to sum up she was just amazing, both vocally and acting-wise. Her Emma was very tender, always loving, kind and supportive towards Jekyll, but at the same time she had this strong and independent side to her, which was visible especially in her interactions with stride at the beginning. She’s pretty much driven by her love for Henry, never leaving his side and always believing in him, even if nobody else does, even though it is noticeable that she has her doubts later on and that she really suffers from her fiancé’s constant absence and Lena just portrayed all of this perfectly. Nataliya as Lucy was also great. I really enjoyed watching her 'bring on the men' and the scenes in the red rat in the beginning but at the same time I suffered with her during 'a new life' and her death left me in tears as well. It’s just impossible to not feel touched by her story seeing how such a kind-hearted woman who never gives up believing in her dream and hoping for a new life, despite her position in society, has to go through so much suffering…

stage door - first of all, right after the show I got a chance to take a picture with Emma in costume and after that and after I went to get my jacket from the wardrobe, I went out to the stage door, met some more friends there and then we waited for the actors together. There were masses of people that day, so I was really worried I wouldn’t be able to take photos or ask for autographs. I almost didn’t notice when Elena came out because she was surrounded by such a huge crowd of people. Luckily, my friend told her that I’d like to see her and ask to sign something again and she came to us right away, took some pics with me and signed my photo album with the photos with her from another concert in September before she left. She’s the sweetest, honestly, I can’t even describe how much I love her <3 When the crowd started to disappear I also managed to take a picture with Kirill. We stayed for a little longer and suddenly noticed that someone had placed some huge plastic cherries next to Kirill in front of the stage door. They were gone again later, but up to this date, we haven’t figured out why they were standing there. I showed Elena the photo with the cherries later and asked whether she knows, since I suggested it might’ve been a present for Kirill, but she didn’t know anything about it either. We later figured out they were taken away from a café nearby and placed there. Why is still unknown. Anyways, that was my first Jekyll&Hyde💗 I’ll write the second review tomorrow! If you have questions/remarks whatsoever, feel free to ask, comment, text me etc)

Should I post some of the photos as well? :D

[aceofspades-sml]

AHHH THATS SO EXCITING WHAT PRODUCTION ARE YOU IN?!

But yes I finally did!!! It was good! I had only heard one song before but didn't much know the story. I had to drive 2 hours to it then had a ticket issue so I missed a minute or two of the first song I dont like the ending 🥺😥 but alas! Our production had alot of poc actors which was super cool. The merch table was sold out of mostly everything by the time I got there after the show tho I did get a shirt! The girl playing Eurydice was super adorable looking and the guy playing Orpheus looked very huggable and sweet and exactly what I picture a hopeless romantic to look like if I had to conceptualize it. He also had a high voice almost falsetto and his voice was super gorgeous and pretty to listen to. Hermes had a southern accent and i loved him. Orpheus'song was so pretty and I think I liked our actor better than the original Broadway version. The chorus was very smiley at least in the first part and they looked like they were having the best time. I did sneak a picture at bows so if you like I'll message it to you. Hades actor was also really good but hard to like as a Character.

Our trombone player my gosh 😍 he was superb. The orchestra was great and a underappreciated part imo. The costumes!!! Whoever was in charge really brought it! Uhhhh what else would you like to know??

It's just a small french play nothing big but still I'm pretty excited ( for those interested/who might speak french, the play is called "Les Assoiffés" and I strongly recommend it !!!)

Ndksksksks that's so great !!! This production sounds awesome I'm really happy you enjoyed it !

[elv--eyera]

Ways to watch Jekyll & Hyde online!

I recently saw someone interested in watching Jekyll & Hyde, so I decided to spend some time today to put a post together!  Here’s information about (and links to) six productions of the show that you can watch online! 

The 2001 Broadway Cast DVD

Starring: David Hasselhoff (Jekyll / Hyde), Coleen Sexton (Lucy Harris), Andrea Rivette (Emma Carew)

(Starting with this one because this is the only non-bootleg, commercially available version of Jekyll & Hyde, and I’m sure this is the main version people are familiar with and I wanna go over this before getting to the rest.)

Good: It’s a beautifully filmed professional recording of the show on Broadway, something that most shows never get! The supporting cast (many of whom were from the original cast and played their roles from the beginning of the run to the end) is wonderful. When the focus is on the non-Jekyll aspects of the production, it’s really amazing. Coleen Sexton and Andrea Rivette are truly amazing.

Evil: David Hasselhoff. I give him props for taking on a very difficult role that is well outside of his comfort zone, and it’s clear to see that the man gave it his absolute all. He really wanted to take this on, and he really tried his best. (Here’s a four-minute interview about his experience with the show and the work he put into it - he had oxygen backstage, and he actually passed out onstage briefly after “The Way Back”.) However, watching him as Jekyll and Hyde, it’s just unavoidable that he’s just not very good. I’ll leave it at that.

How Can I Watch It?: It gets uploaded to Youtube and Dailymotion from time to time, but I couldn’t find it there today. However, you can watch it here, and a commercial for his time in J&H here. Just be warned: this is no day at the beach. 

The 2001 Broadway Cast (rehearsal!)

Starring: Rob Evan (Jekyll / Hyde), Coleen Sexton (Lucy Harris), Andrea Rivette (Emma Carew)

Good: If you were thinking “well, I wish that there was a professionally recorded version without David Hasselhoff”, This is basically, shot for shot, the same as the Hasselhoff version, but with Rob Evan instead, and it’s a fundamentally different experience. Rob Evan (who replaced Robert Cuccioli on Broadway in 1998) is a great actor and singer, who went on to play the role again in the “concert” versions in 2005 - 2006. 

Evil: It’s 480p quality, but that’s the only real downside. 

How Can I Watch It?: Right here! 

The Original Broadway Cast (1997)

Starring: Robert Cuccioli as Jekyll and Hyde, Linda Eder as Lucy Harris and Christiane Noll as Emma Carew.

Good: The original Broadway cast is amazing. This is a personal opinion on my part but Robert Cuccioli is the definitive Jekyll / Hyde. His Tony-nominated performance is awesome, and it really elevates the show. Linda Eder and Christiane Noll are also absolutely wonderful in their roles, and the talent in this cast is just amazing. Unlike the above two recordings, this one’s a bootleg, but it’s still a really great watching experience.  

Evil: Really, the only possible downside is that this cast didn’t have a professional recording. Just press reels, a nice bootleg, and TV appearances. That’s really the only downside. This cast is awesome.

How Can I Watch It?: You can watch 20 minutes of professionally shot press reels here (featuring several songs), you can watch the whole show with this cast here, and you can watch some TV appearances here: “In His Eyes” , “This Is The Moment” and “Dangerous Game” (featuring Rob Evan as Jekyll, who was the alternate for Cuccioli before taking over the role himself in 1998) Or if you’re short on time, just watch Cuccioli do “Confrontation” live. 

But wait!  I want something different from the Broadway adaptation!

Well, Jekyll & Hyde went through a lot of changes on the road to Broadway, and after the show hit Broadway, many of productions changed things further or even changed things back to the earlier versions. The following productions all interpret the material differently, and all of them have script / music changes from the Broadway version. (Many of them stick closer to or take elements from the 1994 Concept Album with Anthony Warlow.) 

The Pre-Broadway Tour (1995)

Starring: Robert Cuccioli as Jekyll and Hyde, Linda Eder as Lucy Harris and Christiane Noll as Lisa Carew.

Good: Where Broadway is more subdued, the 95′ tour went for darker Victorian gothic horror / melodrama and I adore it. Much of the staging, sets and costumes are very different from the Broadway version. The script has some really impactful, chilling moments that were cut from the Broadway version.  It incorporates more of the popular ‘94 Gothic Musical Thriller album, with songs like Bring On The Men and Girls Of The Night included. (Lucy Meets Hyde is there and that’s something I want back in the show, dammit). And it’s got the same wonderful cast that went on to originate the role on Broadway. I really, really like this version and wish that the show had stayed a bit closer to this in parts.

Evil: The picture quality is not great and there’s not a lot of super close zooms, however it’s a bootleg of a really interesting time in the show’s history and I can get past it. Some people find some moments in the script overdramatic.

How Can I Watch It?: You can watch the whole thing right here! You can also listen to some clips from the soundboard of the show, of Robert Cuccioli singing “Alive” and “Confrontation” here! 

The Original Bremen Production (1999-2002)

Starring (in this video): Darius Merstein-Macleod (Jekyll / Hyde), Maricel (Lucy Harris), Michaela Kovarikova (Lisa Carew)

Good:  The Bremen production was the first international production of Jekyll & Hyde, and they definitely do not copy the Broadway version exactly. They make interesting changes that I feel make the show stronger, and the design and the orchestra are absolutely gorgeous. They make some changes to the running order of things that I think make the beginning of the show flow so much better. The design choices are gorg (I LOVE the color palette of this production, oh my gosh) and the orchestra is absolutely stunning (though that’s best showcased on the 1999 album, one of my favorites to listen to.) Really, really interesting and awesome production. 

Bad: None, really! This cast isn’t the original cast, if you’re hard pressed on that. 

How Can I Watch It?: You can watch the full show right here, and some professionally shot clips with the lead actor in this video. The same production design and direction all around was used for two more German productions in Vienna and Koln - you can watch the Vienna one here, starring Thomas Borchert, Maya Hakvoort and Eva Maria Marold. And about that 1999 album that’s one of my favorites to listen to... shhhh. SHHHh. Enjoy.

The 2013 Broadway Revival

Starring: Constantine Maroulis as Jekyll / Hyde, Deborah Cox as Lucy Harris, and Teal Wicks as Emma Carew. 

Good: This is the most recent major U.S production of Jekyll & Hyde. The singers are all excellent, and the scenic design has more of a “steampunk” edge to it, and they use projections in an interesting way, especially in “Confrontation”. They do relatively little to fundamentally change the currently licensed script, but all the songs are completely musically reworked in more of a pop-rock style, and there are bits that are reinstated from the concept album (Lucy Meets Hyde, Jekyll’s “It’s over now, I know inside” intro from “Confrontation”). It’s really interesting, the singers are actually fantastic, and I like some of the musical arrangements! 

Evil: Objectively, none. This revival totally changed up the sound and look of the show, and those changes can be polarizing, but it’s really up to you whether or not you personally like it. 

Where can I watch it?: Act 1 is here, and Act 2 is here! Here’s a tiny montage of some songs from the show as well! 

Other Productions:

I didn’t want to leave out a lot of other productions of the show that you can watch online, so here are two other interesting productions of the show I enjoy that you can watch online:

The 2014 Russian Production. The design is fabulous, the singers are great (the music is a nice mix of the classic orchestrations and the 2013 arrangements), and the set is absolutely amazing. Love this production. The set change from “Transformation” to “Alive” is AWESOME. Pick your poison: Ivan Ozhogin: Act 1 / Act 2, Kirill Gordeev: Act 1 / Act 2, or my underrated fave, Rostislav Koplakov: Act 1 / Act 2 . 

This 2007 outdoor German production. Watch it right here! I haven’t watched this whole thing, but it starts during daytime and by the time the show ends it’s dark, which is really cool)

Whichever way you choose to watch Jekyll & Hyde, I really hope you enjoy the show! It’s one of my absolute favorites. 

Also, if you want to listen to the show, you can listen to these albums on Youtube!

1990′ Concept Album 

(Very different from the final show - wouldn’t suggest starting with this one.)

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_k8KX2WKpxXWD1WReuEEnZWTiQM0brA7OY

1994′ Concept Album:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKELXRdNl-0qpSAZUBEuet90lgNT5vFra

1997 Broadway Cast:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLB135F98AE9670DF6

2006 ‘Resurrection’ Album:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLp1o87OC81fxi-7LFAWEqAPvf3xZAD7tx

2012 Concept Album:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLoIpj63IKuYxuv4nXJjAqoez3bZK2S51J

Enjoy!! 

[gwalchmedi]

Review: Earl Carpenter in The Phantom Of The Opera: London, 2006

Synopsis: blown away with this performance. I wrote a bit of a long review... er.

I was skillfully persuaded to watch this show after having binged on some glorious Russian opera, and listened to far too much heart-breaking music from Ivan Ozhogin. Oh my poor heart! I’ve got to say that I am envious of those people who were there live that night. Gorgeous, strange, vibrant, poetic interpretations that broke my soul. Let’s start! My first thought about this version is that the orchestra was of a particularly high quality and on really good form. The quality of the strings in particular was really enjoyable. I wish we saw more of The Band(!) and the pianist. Nevertheless, here we go. Chandelier! Lights! Orchestra! Dunno what organ they have there, but it’s blinking amazing. Beautifully clear, fingered phrases by the organist in a part that is usually a bit woolly. Is this the usual chandelier? I had never noticed the Apollo’s Lyres on it before. Curtains lifting – so many curtains! And bang! Carlotta arrives. Despite the overplaying of her voice that this part calls for, she actually has a great range, the lower register in particular being very fruity. Piangi does the overblown tenor really well. His sudden step back at the unexpected trumpeting elephant is a tiny masterly piece of comic timing. Kudos to horns here; they are bright and absolutely lovely. Rather a small troupe of ballet dancers compared to what I thought I had seen in some other productions. This section, I feel, has the loveliest costumes on some of the smaller parts: M. Reyer’s bronze velvet jacket and M. Lefevre’s absolutely drop-dead gorgeous warm-brown, lavishly embroidered velvet cape with the delightful pixie hood (and tassel!) I always look out for. His little hat on his unruly curls always makes me have a bit of a pash for him! Poor man, you really see how badly he’s been affected by the shenanigans at the Garnier! We see a bit more of the poor, harassed costumier following Carlotta and getting nowhere for her pains (watch out for her a bit later) with the appalling wig that always seems to be chosen for her. Look for her dress which actually has some beautiful patterning on the arms. The orchestration written for Hannibal by ALW is really lush here, and I wish this opera were for real. The Garnier Troupe really aren’t afraid to push it out there; this production of Hannibal was new, their Il Muto was new and, of course, Don Juan Triumphant was too. Quite unafraid of innovation! The usual bustle as the practice finishes, M. Lefevre makes his announcement and La Carlotta sings her aria. Listen to the accompanist – really deft playing. I like the pacing here, and Christine has the most beautiful face; round cheeks, a full voice that is richer than usual, top notes wonderfully sustained in Think Of Me. Lovely, luscious, soft. I certainly fell for her! Not fond of this version of the cadenza, and she’s a bit sharp. Watch the guy who plays the prompt when he’s applauding Christine! And a rather young looking Giry – I like it. Then, gently, HIM! The Phantom is heard for the first time, and Christine’s response is exactly what I always hope for. Not the usual fear and shock, but a slow closing of her eyes, a softening of her body as she is taken by the silvery tones. A cute Meg. The cutest! And the strings now show their delicacy in this little section as Christine tells Meg (and us) about her “tutor”. She frolicks up and into her dressing room stairs and the interchange here is not only the spoken one between Meg and Christine, but in the background the costumier (gathering up random bits of clothing) shows her unspoken intrigue with the story Christine is unfolding – a lovely touch. And Christine’s link with her Angel is glorious to see. She really believes, and you catch her delight at her telling the story about her Maestro. 1/2 (couldn't seem to post the full thing)

[elibee-valleyspixie]

Review: Earl Carpenter in The Phantom Of The Opera: London, 2006

Synopsis: blown away with this performance. I wrote a bit of a long review... er.

I was skillfully persuaded to watch this show after having binged on some glorious Russian opera, and listened to far too much heart-breaking music from Ivan Ozhogin. 

Oh my poor heart!

I’ve got to say that I am envious of those people who were there live that night. Gorgeous, strange, vibrant, poetic interpretations that broke my soul.

Let’s start!

My first thought about this version is that the orchestra was of a particularly high quality and on really good form. The quality of the strings in particular was really enjoyable. I wish we saw more of The Band(!) and the pianist.

Nevertheless, here we go.

Chandelier! Lights! Orchestra!

Dunno what organ they have there, but it’s blinking amazing. Beautifully clear, fingered phrases by the organist in a part that is usually a bit woolly. Is this the usual chandelier? I had never noticed the Apollo’s Lyres on it before. Curtains lifting – so many curtains!

And bang! Carlotta arrives. Despite the overplaying of her voice that this part calls for, she actually has a great range, the lower register in particular being very fruity. Piangi does the overblown tenor really well. His sudden step back at the unexpected trumpeting elephant is a tiny masterly piece of comic timing. Kudos to horns here; they are bright and absolutely lovely.

Rather a small troupe of ballet dancers compared to what I thought I had seen in some other productions. This section, I feel, has the loveliest costumes on some of the smaller parts: M. Reyer’s bronze velvet jacket and M. Lefevre’s absolutely drop-dead gorgeous warm-brown, lavishly embroidered velvet cape with the delightful pixie hood (and tassel!) I always look out for. His little hat on his unruly curls always makes me have a bit of a pash for him! Poor man, you really see how badly he’s been affected by the shenanigans at the Garnier!

We see a bit more of the poor, harassed costumier following Carlotta and getting nowhere for her pains (watch out for her a bit later) with the appalling wig that always seems to be chosen for her. Look for her dress which actually has some beautiful patterning on the arms.

The orchestration written for Hannibal by ALW is really lush here, and I wish this opera were for real. The Garnier Troupe really aren’t afraid to push it out there; this production of Hannibal was new, their Il Muto was new and, of course, Don Juan Triumphant was too. Quite unafraid of innovation!

The usual bustle as the practice finishes, M. Lefevre makes his announcement and La Carlotta sings her aria. Listen to the accompanist – really deft playing.

I like the pacing here, and Christine has the most beautiful face; round cheeks, a full voice that is richer than usual, top notes wonderfully sustained in Think Of Me. Lovely, luscious, soft. I certainly fell for her! Not fond of this version of the cadenza, and she’s a bit sharp. Watch the guy who plays the prompt when he’s applauding Christine! And a rather young looking Giry – I like it.

Then, gently, HIM!

The Phantom is heard for the first time, and Christine’s response is exactly what I always hope for. Not the usual fear and shock, but a slow closing of her eyes, a softening of her body as she is taken by the silvery tones.

A cute Meg. The cutest! And the strings now show their delicacy in this little section as Christine tells Meg (and us) about her “tutor”. She frolicks up and into her dressing room stairs and the interchange here is not only the spoken one between Meg and Christine, but in the background the costumier (gathering up random bits of clothing) shows her unspoken intrigue with the story Christine is unfolding – a lovely touch. And Christine’s link with her Angel is glorious to see. She really believes, and you catch her delight at her telling the story about her Maestro.

(Just an aside, as I really ought not to put questions like this in here, but I always wonder about the darkly played tremolo strings as Mme. Giry, suitably secretive, brings in what turns out to be Raoul’s note. I know the first time I saw that scene, I thought it was going to be a note from Him - the music, the horns, and direction of the characters leading me to think so. Anyone else? No? Just me, then!)

I love her caution as Raoul embraces her. It’s really telling, foreshadowing her troubles. And that lead violinist again; he’s getting a medal from me. He has a proper capital “R” romantic tremolo. The music enables them. It’s a sweet moment for the two of them.

I’ll break here. It’s a ways to go yet, lovely people.

[whoops-im-obsessed]

London Palladium 'Joseph' ramble-y review!

So last year I was lucky enough to see 'Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat' at the London Palladium, and it was so good I just had to gush about it. When I got home, I wrote this out and then never posted it. I thought that now with all the craziness and theatres being closed that we could use a reminder of how cool theatre is . A lot of things about this show were very different to any other version of the show I or my mum have seen (trust me, its our favourite show we've seen a lot). Lets do this!

When the orchestra started playing the applause was soooo loud and I knew I was in a room full of theatre lovers it was amazing.

It opened with Sheridan Smith (narrator) walking out and oml she is gorgeous she had pink in her hair

Anyway

The kids ran out on stage with little blocks to sit on 'matilda-style' and it was precious.

Speaking of the kids

The kids in this show were absolutely phenomenal, they are all tiny geniuses. There wasn't a large kids choir like usual, there were only about six of them on stage at any given time, but they made a big noise and were amazing.

Jac Yarrow (Joseph) came out and started singing in his gorgeous voice with his pretty vibrato and interacted with the kids so sweetly

Jac is a complete unknown straight out of drama school but you would never ever guess it, he was amazing sksks.

As it opened up into 'Jacob and Sons', the kids did a lot of the scene changes which was actually really cleverly done

Two of the kids played two of the brothers (Benjamin and Judah????) And they were adorable

AND THEN SHERIDAN SMITH PUT ON A BEARD AND STARTED TO PLAY JACOB IN A REALLY THICK NORTHERN ACCENT

What a queen

No but seriously, Sheridan is absolutely hilarious in this, she played quite a few of the small parts and every time she put on a bit of costume for them she would lift it up and go 'It's still me!!'

THE ISHMAELITES RODE ON CAMEL BIKES

One of the kids played the goat the brothers kill and when they lifted her up she went 'Just dressing, up you said!' And stormed off stage

Tiny legends

Sheridan Smith played an actual harmonica at the beginning of 'One More Angel in Heaven'. Not well, and there wasn't really a tune, but she did it.

Tap dancing in the 'One More Angel' dance break

Newsies who?

Potiphar was played by one of the kids and he was amazing

'Meant that he could rrreally live in style, and he did' 'Ha! AnD I diD'

Sheridan played Potiphar's wife and it was gold

Very racy

She put on a tiger one of those blankets that have animal's heads and full on humped Joseph

'Come and lie with me, love' *spreads legs*

The staging for Joseph's cell was actually really cool and beautiful

'Close Every Door to Me' was so emotional; watch out for Jac Yarrow, he's gonna be big

Fortnite dancing at the start of 'Go Go Go Joseph'

Also galaxy jackets, neon shorts, and sweat bands

--- Act 2 ---

Cool projections in 'A Pharaoh's Story', its still one of my favourite songs ever

Sheridan Smith said alto rights, she has such a strong voice

Every one went mental when Jason Donovan (Pharaoh) appeared, like Beyonce in your living room mental

Vegas sign expect it said Egypt

Giant guitar-playing hydraulic statues

Joseph asking for two (2) repeats bc he was so good

He didn't really do anything else though :/

'Who this man could be I just don't know!' *Aggressive pointing at himself*

Canaan days was brilliant as always

Impromptu Sheridan led can-can, followed by Simeon shouting 'I said Canaan, not Can-can!'

'Grovel, Grovel' was pretty average tbh

There was no giant slot machine like I saw in a tour production

One of the kids started 'Benjamin Calypso' which was adorable, also beatboxing Judah

'Joseph All the Time' was very sweet

Sheridan rode a camel bike in 'Jacob in Egypt'

And the finale was one for the ages, complete with lovely narrator-Joseph harmony and a huge crescendo of the whole cast, plus a few over-enthusiastic audience members

Oh and how could I forget the megamix? It was so fun and the whole theatre was up clapping and dancing for the whole seven minutes, I was grinning the entire time.

Bonus!

The orchestra was amazing and bc I was in the Grand circle I could see them dancing along to gogogo joseph it was amazing

Also kudos to the techies, the Palladium isn't small and there was a lot going on

Shout out to that one lighting guy who was harnessed in one of the boxes for the whole show and moved some of the lights by hand

[gleepotluckbigbang]

Broadway AUs

We both have minor roles in this production so we have a lot of time to talk while the others are rehearsing - hey, we like a lot of the same things, wanna go for coffee later?

I’m the head of the costume dept and you’re the new up-and-coming lead actor and I am amazed at how talented (and hot) you are

This is our first dress rehearsal - how on earth do you manage to look so good in these cheesy outfits?

I have to share a dressing room with the most obnoxious jerk/self-centered diva and when flowers were delivered to our dressing room they took them assuming they were fro them but they were really for me

You’re the lead actor and I’m just a chorus boy/girl but I’ve made sure to memorize various other parts, so when both the supporting actor and their understudy are both unable to go on on opening night, I’m the only one that knows their part well enough to go on in their place - later you tell me you think I did a better job than either of them

You’re doing my stage makeup and are so beautiful I think I forgot how to breathe

During rehearsal I tripped and fell into the orchestra pit and landed on you

I asked you to help me run lines for my new role because you’re my best friend and a fellow actor but after rehearsing the kiss scene I realized I might like you as more than a friend

You’re the hot single parent of a child actor I’m working with on this production and you tell me that your kid can’t seem to stop talking about me when you’re at home so you invite me over for dinner to see what the fuss is all about

We’re both actors that keep showing up for the same auditions

I’m super nervous around you because you’re the stern high-profile director that doesn’t take any shit from his cast and this is my first Broadway production

The person playing your love interest wants a real romance with you but you’re already married to me, another member of the cast/crew

I’ve been a huge fan of yours for a while now and you were just cast to be in a production with my friend/sibling, so I forced them to take me to a rehearsal so I could meet you

Either you are really clumsy or you are purposefully tearing the seams on this costume just so you have to come see me for repairs

I’m a songwriter for a new Broadway Musical and you are a singing waiter - I love your voice and think it’s perfect for this piece I wrote please please come audition for the show!

i may or may not have fallen asleep while the director was working with a different section and you’re the angel who woke me up before they noticed

I’m a well-known Broadway actor and you’re the journalist from Broadway-dot-com that’s interviewing me but I’m having a hard time answering your questions because you are so gorgeous

Prompts sent in by @random-klainer0100 (Wonderful, thank you so much!)

[beyond-the-mirror]

Music of the Night (V x Reader)

Welcome back to another chapter of Music of the Night!

From this chapter and on, this fic will continue a bit kinda like the musical and the movie albeit with a few changes on the plot. This is an AU after all, one that mainly focuses on our dear and mysterious Phantom and his relation with the Reader.

Tagging @minteyeddemon​ and @thedyingmoon​ as a special thanks for believing in this idea since before I started writing it. Hope you enjoy!

…………

Chapter 4: An Angel Ready to Take Flight

- Two years later -

“This trophy from our saviors, from our saviors from the enslaving force of Rome!”

The conductor signaled to the orchestra the start of the opera Hannibal’s Overture. Right on time, a parade of actors and actresses entered the stage from the side, marching while backup singers among them continued with the song.

“With feasting and dancing and song, tonight in celebration, we greet the victorious throng, returned to bring salvation!”

The scene flowed beautifully, the gorgeous red dresses and attires that the performers were wearing looked stunning from Trish’s place near the first row of seats. Next, the backup dancers appeared on stage, their choreography signaling the triumphant entrance of the war general Hannibal.

“The trumpets of Carthage resound! Hear, Romans, now and tremble! Hark to our step on the ground! Hear the drums, Hannibal comes!”

The soldiers and ladies of the court stepped aside to reveal the arrival of the great general, played by main tenor Ubaldo Piangi.

“Sad to return to find the land we love threatened once more by Rome's far-reaching grasp-“

“Gentlemen, gentlemen…” Interrupting Piangi’s solo, the conductor nervously tapped the stand before him, stopping the music altogether. “Monsieur Lefevre, we are in the middle of a rehearsal right now.”

Lefevre had sauntered into the stage accompanied by three other men.

“I am terribly sorry Monsieur Reyer, it’s only for a quick announcement.” Lefevre excused himself before quickly clearing his throat “Monsieur Rever, Madame Trish, ladies and gentlemen. Please if I could have your attention thank you very much.”

Making a brief pause and waiting until everyone gathered round, Lefevre continued “As you know, in a few weeks I will be retiring, it has been a great pleasure for me working alongside an extraordinaire crew such as all of you. And now, it is my pleasure to introduce you to these two gentlemen who now own our Opera House, Monsieur Richard Firmin and Monsieur Gilles Andre.”

He gestured to two of the men who stood by his side. One of them, which you presumed was Monsieur Firmin, stepped to the front and took the word. “It’s a pleasure to meet you all. And we are deeply honoured to introduce our new patron, the Vicomte Raoul de Chagny.”

The third man in question was tall and with a lean figure, he had warm hazel eyes and curly blond hair. He was rather handsome and looked to be well-mannered considering his posture the entire time.

“My parents and I are honoured to support all the arts, especially Fortuna’s well renowned Opera House.”

“If you allow me Vicomte, gentlemen.” Lefevre interjected, beckoning Carlotta and Ubaldo. “Signora Carlotta Giudicelli, our current leading soprano; Signor Ubaldo Piangi, lead tenor of our fine Opera; and Monsieur Reyer, maestro in charge of our orchestra.”

“An honor Signor, Signora, Monsieur. I believe we are keeping you from your rehearsal. My apologies for the interruption everyone, you may continue with your duties.”

The three men retired to the side of the stage while Trish ordered to repeat the scene once more from the top. The premiere would be that same night and the last dress rehearsals must go according to the tight schedule programmed.

Lefevre invited the new administrators to stay and watch the performers first hand, soon enough Trish joined them so he could properly introduce her.

“Gentlemen, I proudly introduce you to Madame Trish. An unparalleled choreographer and dance captain that’s been gracing our beloved Opera for these last years.”

“An honor meeting you.” Trish responded politely before showing them the routine the dancers were currently practicing on stage. “As you can see, we take great pride in the excellence of our ballet. We primarily focus on the discipline of our ballerinas rather than their mere talent, in order to  ensure the success of our productions.”

The three man observed attentively at how the scene before them took place, impressed at the incredible skills and professionalism all the staff members showed for their work.

“Now I see why madame, especially that exceptional beauty performing over there.” Unbeknownst to you, Firmin pointed towards your dancing figure.

“(Y/N) (L/N).” Trish informed him. “A very promising ballerina Monsieur, one of the best this theatre has ever witnessed. Now please follow me gentlemen, we don’t want to stand in our performers’ way.”

As they gave the performers the space they needed, Raoul centered his bright eyes on you. He was enthralled by the swift flow of your movements, as if the choreography was basically second nature to you. The scene continued with the rest of the actors marching to the center, followed by a mechanical prop of a magnanimous war elephant.

“The trumpeting elephant sound. Hear, Romans, now and tremble, hark to their step on the ground. Hear the drums! Hannibal comes!”

A glorious crescendo filled the Opera House before the scene reached its finale. Silence took over for a few moments before the new administrators and the Vicomte clapped at the great performance they had just witnessed, not registering Carlotta’s frustrated voice as she strode towards them.

“That number was astounding! We are very excited about tonight’s gala-“

“All day! All they ever want is the dancing!” Carlotta rudely interrupted Andre “Allor… I hope you are as excited about dancing girls as your new managers, BECAUSE I WILL NOT BE SINGING! Addio a tutti!”

She stomped furiously to her personal assistants, ordering them to gather all her belongings for her. Carlotta’s sudden departure left Firmin and Andre in absolute shock, while the rest of the staff were simply unfazed by her attitude, already used to this kind of meltdowns from her.

“What can we do now?” With no other options at hand, the new owners had no choice but to follow Lefevre’s advice to this particular kind of situation “Grovel. Grovel, grovel.”

So of course, Firmin and Andre immediately took after Carlotta to stop her from leaving the stage, loudly exclaiming any possible compliment they could think of in order to appeal to her.

“Beauty!” “Principessa!” “Bella Dama!”

“Si! Si! Si!”

“Oh Goddess of Song!”

“If you excuse me, please.” Everyone turned to see the Vicomte approaching Carlotta with a rather calm and suave expression on his face “Monsieur Reyer, isn’t there a marvelous aria for Elissa in Act. 3 of Hannibal? Perhaps the signora-“

“Yes, yes, but no!” she angrily interjected “Because turns out I don’t have the right costume for Act 3 because somebody made a horrible disaster out of it! And I hate my hat!” She sobbed and lamented, very much like a spoiled diva in the eyes of the staff members. Raoul, however, remained unfazed by her sudden outburst and simply smiled warmly at her.

“I was wondering, signora, as a personal favor… would you give us the privilege of a personal performance? Unless of course, Monsieur Reyer objects.”

“No, aspette! aspette!” Taking in deep breaths, Carlotta composed herself, the Vicomte’s words having their desired effect. “If my managers command, Monsieur Reyer?”

“If my diva commands?” Reyer spoke in a mirth voice to appeal to her, which made her beam in joy.

“Yes I do!”

Reyer quickly returned to his position at the head of the orchestra, the pianist preparing himself for Elissa’s aria. Taking hold of his baton, the conductor signaled Carlotta.

“Signora?”

Carlotta first applied some throat spray and readied herself before confirming. “Maestro.”

Elissa’s aria ‘Think of Me’ was indeed an exquisite piece, only the most privileged voices could ever properly bring forth all the emotions contained in its beautiful lyrics. Carlotta Giudicelli may be an insufferable diva in the eyes of those who worked with her, but there was no denying that she had a rather wonderful voice. The entire theatre fell silent as a sign of respect to her magnificent singing, no one dared to interrupt her, no one dared to disrespect La Carlotta in such way.

That is until a snapping sound made everyone’s hearts drop, and the next thing they all knew, a heavy curtain was falling down right towards her.

“Signora!”

Panicked screams resonated through the stage. Raoul managed to pull Carlotta right out of danger’s way, her ample dress, however, ultimately made them both topple down due to the weight of its many layers of fabric. Many rushed immediately to help both the Vicomte and mostly the lead soprano, who was trapped beneath the heavy curtain.

“Oi Buquet! What in heaven and hell happened over there?!” Nico screamed furiously at Mr. Buquet, the man in charge of operating the changing scenery at the fly floors. “You are lucky nobody got killed for this!”

“It wasn’t me Nico, I swear! I-I remained in my position all the time, Lord Sparda knows I wasn’t near that curtain.” Buquet stuttered nervously, the poor man fearing the possibility of losing his job over this accident.

Adjusting her glasses, Nico walked around trying to look if someone else had been up at the fly floors tampering at the ropes, but couldn’t find nobody.

“What are you talking about? There’s no one else there.”

“Do you think… it could have been the Phantom?” Buquet murmured almost inaudibly.

“Please Buquet, don’t be ridiculous! Seems that I’ll have to examine the grid, the least I want now is a broken pulley or something.” She was sure Buquet hadn’t been responsible for the incident, for everyone knew he was a very hardworking and trustworthy person. So the only possible explanations Nico could think about were either one of the pulleys got damaged and broke down, or the rope wasn’t secured properly.

Meanwhile, the situation on the stage wasn’t looking pleasant at all.

“We are deeply sorry for this signora, I’m sure this kind of stuff tends to happen from time to time.” Andre tried his best, and failed, to calm down a ver altered Carlotta.

“Two years! For two whole years this kind of stuff has been happening! And has anybody done something to stop them? NO! So until you manage to stop this incidents, I refuse to set a foot in this Opera!”

As she stomped out of the theatre followed by her hurrying assistants, everyone could feel in their hearts that unlike her previous outbursts, she was not coming back this time. And now the question lingering in their minds was: What were they going to do now?

…………

The performers were gathered at the green room, already out of their costumes and in casual attire instead. All staff members were told to leave the stage so Trish, Lefevre and the new owners could discuss on how to proceed and find an imminent solution as soon as possible.

“I’m afraid we’ll have to cancel.” Firmin lamented as he wiped the sweat off his forehead. “We have lost our main star and there’s no way we can find another soprano for tonight’s premiere.”

“Calm down Richard. There must be a substitute, an understudy-“

“Understudy? With all due respect Monsieur Andre, but there’s no understudy for La Carlotta!” interjected Reyer who was visibly nervous about this turn of events.

Tension and concern filled the entire Opera, and as much as the Vicomte and Trish tried their best to control the situation at hand, still no plausible solution had been found yet. Firmin and Andre were mainly worried about the imminent decision of returning all the earnings, the Opera was having a full house that night after all and that could mean a terrible economic loss for the company.

You were currently sitting on the floor hidden behind one of the side curtains of the stage. Curiosity had completely taken over you and now you were secretly trying to listen to the discussion taking place on the stage. You didn’t mean to eavesdrop so rudely, but you were terribly worried and couldn’t help it. All the efforts of your friends, of the people you now considered pretty much your family. If a substitute is not found by tonight, then it all would be in vain.

“My nightingale, my angel of music…” a familiar voice filled your ears “Why are you worried? What is filling your heart with sorrow?”

You could feel his presence right behind you, but you dared not look back out of respect. The Phantom always kept his identity a secret, the least you could do to repay everything he taught you, was respecting his decision not to be seen.

“Our lead soprano is gone… if we don’t find someone, anyone, then…” you trailed off, fighting to keep your tears from falling. “Everyone has worked so hard for this production, I don’t want their efforts to be in vain…”

He remained silent.

A warm breath grazed your ear, making shivers run down your spine.

“I believe you are ready then…”

“Phantom? …What do you mean?”

“… I believe in you, my angel. Go forth, and bless the world with your divine voice.”

The presence behind you was gone.

“Phantom? Wait!” You turned around, but he was already gone.

Did he mean…? No, there was no way you could do this. You may have improved a lot since your first lesson with him, but were you truly ready to perform before a real audience? A full house? What if you get the lyrics wrong? What if you get nervous and stutter during a musical number? No, you couldn’t do this.

But the Phantom… he believed in you. The Opera, your friends… they needed you.

… Your father… he… he always believed in you.

Taking a deep breath, you slowly got on your feet.

…………

“Please excuse me everyone.”

Eyes turned to you, the discussion coming to a pause.

“(Y/N) is something wrong? You look worried about something.” Trish walked to you, concerned after noticing the few tears in the corner of your eyes which you quickly wiped away.

“Please, allow me to do it.”  the words came out of your lips in an almost inaudible whisper.

The others on the stage looked at each other in confusion. “Miss, you don’t mean…”

There was no turning back. With great strength in your eyes, you voiced your request with confidence. “If it’s not too much of a bother, please allow me to play as Elissa.”

Everyone’s eyes widened in surprise. Andre turned to Firmin “But she’s just a dancer, there’s no way she can do it.”

“(Y/N) do you have any idea of what this entails?” Trish was looking at you incredulously, genuine concern in her eyes. “This is the main role we are talking about, not just anybody can perform it correctly.”

“I know the choreography as well as the lyrics. I can assure you I’ll be able to do it.”

With a sigh leaving her lungs, Trish turned to Reyer. “Maestro would you kindly call your pianist over? Allow her to sing the Act. 3 aria and we shall see if she’s fit for the role.”

“Right away, Madame.”

As the pianist rushed to the orchestra pit, the Vicomte beckoned you to the front of the stage.

“Over here Miss, don’t be shy. For the moment let’s just hear the beginning of the aria, understood?”

You nodded. As Reyer and the pianist got ready, you closed your eyes and remembered the faith your family always had in you, your father’s words, and the teachings of the Phantom.

And so, the first notes to the aria sounded.

“Think of me, think of me fondly

When we've said goodbye

Remember me, once in a while

Please promise me you'll try

When you find that once again you long

To take your heart back and be free

If you ever find a moment

Spare a thought for me.”

Silence.

“M-Magnifique! Absolutely magnificent!”

With wide eyes and clapping hands, you were congratulated by the everyone in front of you.

“(Y/N) that was wonderful!” Trish added in utter surprise “Now why hadn’t you mentioned you could sing like that before, darling?”

“To be honest, I’ve never sung professionally before. But I’ve been receiving lessons for a while and seeing our current predicament well… I decided to at least give it a try.”

“And what an extraordinaire performance that was.” Raoul walked to you and joined Trish at her side. “Miss (Y/N), due to our current circumstances and your impressive demonstration, we are proud to inform you that you may play Elissa in tonight’s premiere. We believe you will be able to deliver a breathtaking performance tonight.”

You could feel your eyes water again at their words. All those days you practiced, they were finally bearing fruit.

“Then I promise I won’t fail you.”

Trish gave you a warm smile. “Alright then, the show must go on and there’s no time to lose. Come (Y/N), we must rehearse your lines and musical numbers.”

A shadowed figure in the long abandoned Box Four smiled down at what was happening on stage before retreating. After all, the Phantom had a very important gala to attend that night, and there was no way he would miss his beloved angel performing on her debut.

…………

As Nico finally reached the grid high above the stage, she took out her flashlight and started inspecting the pulley of the fallen curtain. To her surprise, however, the device was in top-notch condition. Nothing broken, rusty or unstable

“Huh? Well that’s weird.” She had also previously checked the rope. It had no signs to have been cut or damaged either, so the only logical explanation left was that whoever was in charge of tying and securing the ropes made a terrible job, either that or… someone untied it and let the curtain fall on purpose. Then again, she couldn’t find anyone else on the fly floors other than Buquet, and he was too far away to have done it.

“Argh… I’ve already told them over and over again to check their damn ropes.” She muttered to herself before getting out of the grid.

…………

After one last conversation with Firmin and Andre, Lefevre decided to retire for the day. However, there was something else he had to take care to before leaving the building. He reached for the inner pocket of his coat, pulling a sealed black envelope with no name or address written on it, its only prominent characteristic was a lilac wax seal on the back.

Lefevre stared at the envelope for a few moments before putting it back in his pocket and proceeding with his task. Entering the green room, he spotted Trish and (Y/N) going over Elissa’s lines.

“Excuse me Madame Trish, may I talk to you for a few seconds. I’m afraid it’s a very important matter.”

She stood up and after instructing (Y/N) to keep practicing her lines, she followed him out of the room.

“What happened Monsieur Lefevre? Did something happen?”

He gulped audibly before answering. “Trish. You have worked in this theatre for a couple of years now, enough for me to realize how valuable and loyal you are for the company that I basically nurtured for most of my life. Which is why I trust you fully to complete the task that I’m about to give you. Please listen carefully what I’m about to tell you, and please, promise me you’ll handle this with complete and absolute discretion.”

Lefevre reached for his inner pocket once again and handed her the mysterious black envelope.

“I’m afraid I don’t understand Monsieur. What is inside this letter?” She inquired worryingly.

Lefevre inhaled deeply before continuing in a whispered voice “Inside this envelope there are exactly 1,800 euros. At the end of every month, you must place that exact amount of euros in a black envelope like this one. I keep them in the third drawer of my desk, as well as some lilac sealing wax and a seal stamp with a design like the one in this envelope. Then, you must take the money to Box Four and slide it under the curtain. That box must remain unavailable for the public always. It is imperative that nobody, absolutely nobody, sees you when delivering the money.”

“What? But who is this money for?”

Sweat started forming on Lefevre’s forehead, and when he remained quiet, it only worsened Trish’s concerns.

“Just… promise me that you will do it. And please… don’t ask anymore questions to me or anybody else.”

She hesitated. She had no idea of what was it that got Lefevre so nervous, and then there was the fact that he was willing to pay an unknown person such an important amount of money every month.

There was something quite sketchy behind all of this. And yet, she somehow trusted Lefevre.

“Fine… I just hope this won’t get me in any trouble in the future.”

“Don’t worry, I promise you this is the only thing you have to do. Thanks for everything Madame Trish.”

And with those words, Lefevre left the Opera.

Trish examined the envelope in her hands and turned it around. Her eyes centered on the mysterious lilac wax seal, or more importantly, the peculiar design of the stamp.

A single yet elegant ‘V’ decorating its center.

[klaineccfanficlibrary]

Is there any fics happens includes a musical or some big show they have to perform? Thanks

There are 17 fic recs under the cut. Happy Reading! - HKVoyage

Broadway Babies by Gleek.Forever.Klainer

Kurt Hummel and Blaine Anderson were Broadway’s biggest young stars and each other’s best friends. Unfortunately, fate stepped in a tore the two boys apart. Neither knows what became of the other. But will that change?

~~~~~

Close To Home by sabriel81

Non canon, some similarities but completely AU : Blaine and his writing partner and best friend Wes may have the next Broadway smash on their hands, but if it means having to work with the infamous director Kurt Hummel, Blaine may decide that it’s not worth the trouble, or is it? They both have so many issues to work through, and they might have to do it together. R&R loves!

~~~~~

Every Word by pene

After years apart Kurt and Blaine have moved on from one another and built separate lives. Kurt is developing a quiet reputation off-Broadway. Blaine is a fledgling musical theatre writer and producer on the West Coast.

Then they reconnect - because of the music, because of the theater. Because of course they do.

 "This show is Blaine’s baby. The madness is that the only person he can picture in the lead role is a boy he has been failing to forget for six years.“

Note: Part 1 of All I ever need is everything

~~~~~

Floorshow by neaf

Rocky Horror Audience Participation AU, Blaine is a law student, forced into a strict life by his father, but he misses performing. A chance meeting spurs his old desires, and he finds himself joining the cast of the local RHPS AP, where he meets the enigmatic Frank, and starts to remember who he used to be. But Frank is much, much more than he seems.

~~~~~

The Journeying by @flowerfan2​

Freshly graduated from music school, Blaine is thrilled when he is chosen to stay in the cast when the production of Into the Woods he was lucky enough to be part of in Boston moves to Broadway. He knows it’s going to be hard returning to New York City – the scene of his epic breakup with his fiancé and the emotional meltdown which cost him his place at NYADA. But he’s determined that this time, everything will be different. Little does Blaine know that out of thousands of potential castmates, his director has chosen none other than Kurt Hummel to play the part of Jack. Blaine has worked hard to recover from their breakup three years ago, and struggles to find a new way to relate to Kurt and simultaneously protect himself, especially when tragedy strikes.

This story looks at what would have happened if Kurt and Blaine had reacted differently to the break up in 6x01 than they did in canon; if events hadn’t brought them back together as soon, and if forgiveness hadn’t come so easily.

Canon compliant through the end of season 5 (and the breakup as described in 6x01).

Note: Part 1 of the Woods series

~~~~~

Kurt and Blaine Wake Up Married by @seeroftodayandtomorrow​

A drunk marriage in Vegas, a divorce temporarily out of the question and his new husband someone he’s been a fan of forever: Blaine Anderson’s week just got a lot more exciting. If only he wasn’t still so hung up on his ex…

Inspired by the ‘Wake up married’ -series by Leta Blake and Alice Griffiths

~~~~~

True Like by DualWielding

Kurt loves his job at the off-Broadway theater. As for Blaine Anderson, Kurt might have to work with him, but he doesn’t have to like him. AU. COMPLETE

~~~~~

Mr Congeniality by ifinallyfoundsomeone 

Miss. Congeniality!AU

Bomb threats are being sent to the newly made Mr. America pageant and FBI Agent Blaine Anderson has taken up the position of being an undercover agent to save the pageant. With some extreme grooming and guidance from his pageant consultant, Blaine infiltrates the world of Men’s pageants. Making some interesting friends, and maybe he even winning the heart of his slave driver pageant consultant, the gorgeous and fascinating, Kurt Hummel.

~~~~~

Piglet and Pooh by  Amberlovesocean

At the age of 8, Kurt is grieving for his late mother.

Blaine’s brother doesn’t want to be stuck babysitting.

Rachael’s fathers want her to make real friends.

Neither Kurt, Rachel, or Blaine wants to spend their summer at a community theater for kids. Each in need of a friend, the children gravitate towards each other and find a friendship that will last the rest of their lives.

~~~~~

Just Starting To Crawl by apropensityforcharm

After having no luck in the TV business for two years, Blaine jumps at the chance to star in a guest spot on his brother Cooper’s terrible, horrible, no good, very bad show. Playing the romantic interest opposite one Sebastian Smythe, the fangirls immediately latch onto their chemistry - but Blaine would rather be with Kurt, the gorgeous guy working in costumes. Problem is, Kurt is already married.

~~~~~

Here I Am, Honey by luckie_dee

When Blaine Anderson visits Kellerman’s Mountain Home with his family in the summer of 1963, he isn’t expecting anything more than days in the sun and games of croquet, but when he and his cousin Rachel meet the staff dance instructors, his plans get thrown for a loop. Blaine’s family vacation might just end up being the time of his life. A Klaine Dirty Dancing AU. Title from Solomon Burke’s "Cry to Me.”

~~~~~

Private Message by @gleefuldarrencrissfan​

Kurt never went to Dalton, and so that fateful meeting on the staircase never happened. And because Kurt never met Blaine, he has never been kissed, at least, not one that mattered. He followed Rachel to New York, but he soon found himself frustrated and lonely. And so, he turned to writing fan fiction about a hot new show called Partners, starring brothers Cooper and Blaine Anderson. Soon, Kurt’s life is turned upside down by a string of private messages from a mysterious reviewer, SEPartnersfan.

Sequel: Domestic Partners (WIP - last updated August 2019)

~~~~~

Act 1, scene 5 by gingerfic

AU in which Kurt and Blaine are NYADA students in the same acting class but haven’t ever talked to each other until they are assigned to be scene partners. It’s a kissing scene. They might have to practice.

~~~~~

Stop Loss by YourFairyGodfather

AU. Kurt Hummel never went to McKinley, developing his talents at Carmel as the protégé of Jesse St James instead. Everything is going according to plan, until the day a beautiful, damaged transfer student named Blaine throws his world upside down.

~~~~~

Make You Feel My Love by MrsCriss2012

AU. Blaine is seventeen, and never been kissed. Kurt is 27, and trapped in a loveless relationship. A chance encounter sets both on a path that doesn’t run smoothly, but takes them places they never imagined.

~~~~~

Beginner’s Luck by Corinna

D/s AU. At NYADA, he’s Blaine, a high-achieving student with lots of friends. At his part-time job, he’s Devon, professional sub at a clinic for doms. Kurt meets them both, but only falls for one.

Based on this GKM prompt.

~~~~~

The Fiddler and the Maestro by dahlstrom

Symphony AU. Kurt is the 27-year-old first violinist and concertmaster of the Oregon Symphony Orchestra in Portland. Blaine arrives in town to guest conduct their concert of Holst’s The Planets.

Note: Part 1 of the The Fiddler & the Maestro series

[magic-multicolored-miracle]

Adventures in Liveblogging: Shye Watches “Phantom” Youtube Stream

So I watching this and was jotting down thoughts as I went along. And now if you click that read more you are going to be subjected to all of them because I am feeling a lot right now.

To be honest, I’ve only ever seen one stage production of Phantom before now, a local production in my hometown and it was very clearly based on the movie more than the original script. So a lot of my reacting is to the differences. And also just being emotional

I am in unquestioning awe of ballet dancers. Like generally but also these ones

I love the Hannibal costumes 100x more in the stage production than the movie

Blech. I hate this version of the managers. They creep.

I actually feel for Carlotta. Why did they make her so awful instead of tragic?

“That this was never meant to be…”

Oh these lyric changes change things

I’m going to need Raoul to only sing, because his speaking voice is a bit annoying

That was not the key I was expecting. How is that going to counter Raoul’s when it sounds similar? I mean I like it but…

Digging the sparkly cloak, but not the hat. The hat is a little Inspector Gadget

Okay. Music of the Night as a plea (and straight hypnotism?) instead of seduction…I am feeling a lot of confusing feelings

Being covered with his cloak when she passes out? Now that is some Good Shit

Awkward, loud, key-mashing goes unnoticed but she’s woken by the quiet music box?

I like this little teasing/playful reaching for the mask. It’s a fun bit of levity

Oh this is scary-dangerous-Phantom not dramatic-temper-tantrum-Phantom. Like this Phantom might actually hurt her not just smash furniture

I like this Bouquet better, less of lech

Being in the office and their stressed attitudes make more sense than shouting around the foyer, but Firman in particular is…bad? Too much? I don’t know but I don’t love it

Same size note, many more words. Which means he used PTO on Firman’s for effect only. We love a dramatic bitch

I want’ Carlotta’s dress in this scene. Also she looks done with the managers’ shit and for that we stan (am I using that right?)

I didn’t think the Il Mutto costume could get worse but yikes!

Aw…we didn’t interrupt the production. Where is the petty drama?

Even more blatant disregard of instructions, what morons.

That pageboy costume. Hello my name is Gay

Oh good, we are in fact being MORE of a Petty Dramatic Bitch. Love it. Is the malicious chuckle necessary? No. But are we doing it anyway? Hell yes.

See this Bouquet didn’t even do anything to deserve to die. He was just minding his own business.

“He’ll kill me” not you. Interesting…

This Raoul is much more expressive. His confusion, fear, love are more obvious

The Desperation. The Longing. The LOVE. My heart can’t take it.

Pretty sure this song in my formative years is why I have unrealistic expectations for romance. Also, the spin-lift while kissing. Which this one pairs with a delighted laugh. I can’t.

Oof, the heartbreak turned to rage.

Pre-finale chandelier dramatics. Taunting. Excite

Is it weird that an ominous organ cord is comforting?

That is a Walmart Halloween skeleton costume Firman (or are you Andre? I don’t know I haven’t bothered to care which is which)

Ah the gaudy glory of a Masquerade! I love these costumes. And Christine’s boots. I could gush about nothing but the wardrobe for days but I’ll try to refrain a little.

I feel like y’all should have discussed this before the middle of a party

Is someone in the crowd dressed as the music box monkey?

Eh…that Death costume is a bit…much

Oh, the stage version skips the insults. I might work with that…

Notes gets a reprise?!

All of Carlotta’s looks are incredible. And also Christine’s dress right now. But I really want to talk about Carlotta who is a plus-size woman whose appearance is not a joke and who looks drop dead gorgeous every time she’s on stage. It’s amazing

Ah, here’s the insults I was expecting.

Oh this song is a goldmine I wasn’t expecting the order though I have many emotions and many more ideas

Raoul, cupcake, don’t threaten the madman. You can’t compete.

Ooh a piano plays itself. Clever.

I definitely can’t do this song justice. It scares me that I have to try. God is it daunting.

Okay, what the fuck is that hat?

I wish I could hear Raoul, but the other two overpower him

Taunting and tricks over direct confrontation. That’s an interesting approach

You’ve built your own tomb you idiots. He clearly has secret ways around and you’ve trapped yourself in the theatre

Okay, I don’t like this set of costumes. Except, once again, Carlotta’s. She looks fantastic

The clarity of this Christine’s voice makes me realize how many lines I miss with Emmy Rossum. But I kind of love that. Adds to the hazy memory premise of it

I like that this is more clearly seduction within planned choreography and Christine is uncertain if it’s in character or not. Sadly the costuming kind of looks like seducing a Nazgûl though.

Meg is far more emotional and is taking Piangi’s death very poorly

Oh, we’re actually harming Christine. That makes Raoul’s pleas more logical. Even if I was team Phantom (which I’m not) I wouldn’t be anymore

I mean you were literally just choking her out, so…

That is a fair reaction to seeing your love kiss a murdering psychopath, especially while strung up with a noose. They don’t try too hard to stay pretty with their faces. A+

He’s letting you go. Don’t try to fight him, just leave Raoul

Oh this is much more of a meltdown.

Okay this hurts. This tearful, regretful goodbye. No don’t look back. I can’t…

That is a real good outfit, Meg. We are back to Hello my name is Gay.

Nothing but the mask left behind…

I get that it’s not plausible in a live theatre setting but I miss the chandelier drop. That is my only true complaint and it’s a small thing.

This was a delight and I am FLOATING

Who is the woman in the gorgeous purple dress during curtain call?

Oh I love the smile of pride on Hadley Fraser’s face, especially as he introduces Sierra Boggess. Curtain calls make me feel a special kind of way

Andrew Lloyd Weber looks like he’s been crying and I want to give him a hug

Bless them. Bless this cast and company and orchestra and creative team. Bless them all.

Oh. Oh god. I’m not crying, you’re crying. Shut up. It’s beautiful.