#the struggles of an opera singer

[haemey]

That feeling when you're actually writing a fic about your personal expertise, but your personal expertise keeps you from writing, but you want to write, so writing also keeps you from acting on your personal expertise...

(Whyyyy do I have to practice my parts? Why can't I just know them? Why can't I just go into rehearsals with the score fully uploaded into my brain? Please?)

[widevibratobitch]

me when theyre playing mozart ensembles too slow

[marybeatriceofmodena]

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

Oh.

Oh honey.

You sweet child.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Anyway, buckle up.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[rambosgirl]

Hiii, could you write about logan x f! opera singer! reader??? And maybe make a moodboard🫶🫶🫶 thx for your works

Heck yea I gotcha babe <3 the first thing I thought of was Greatest Showman (duh) but then I also thought of Phantom of the Opera so uh... here it is, I hope you like it! Oh and I added some headcanons for you, if you want a full fic lmk

Headcanons

Storm, Jean, and Scott dragged him to a show of yours bc ya'll are old friends or something

He was a grump the entire time but when he heard you sing??

he was fascinated

and then they went backstage to see you??

girl he was head over heels. Forgot about Jean for the rest of time bc who is this

He would flirt like there was no tomorrow. And he'd give you pet names, his favorite being 'angel'

Despite your busy schedule and sporadic traveling, the two of you become friends. Whenever you were in town, Charles invited you to teach a few classes for students interested in music.

You loved teaching, so you always said yes. But after you finished, you and Logan would sneak off and hang out (Jean and Storm call them dates, and tease Logan about it whenever you're not around)

Logan loves listening to you practice. Your voice isn't just calming, it's fascinating. How do you hold out notes for that long? How do you reach those high notes and make them sound so rich? He doesn't know but he's here for it.

He goes to as many performances as he can, but he often struggles to fit in with the elegance of your world

The fancy opera house, galas, high-society events and people, it's not really his element. It's actually the opposite.

Not to mention the tux. DANG he looks good in it but you can tell he's wildly uncomfortable in it.

it's why he only goes to those events with you sometimes, but he does love to be with you backstage, supporting you within his comfort zone, which you are perfectly okay with.

He'll be there watching when you do your hair, perfect your makeup, and when you perform.

He also reminds you when you're not performing that you don't have to be perfect all the time, something that as an opera singer, you struggle with

You've known each other for months by the time he lets you hear his singing voice

It's a deep baritone voice, completely different from his speaking voice, but at the same time very similar

"You've got a voice that could sell out a theater. Ever think of putting the claws away to give musicals a try?"

He just let out a soft, playful scoff in response "You won't ever catch me singing on a stage"

"The circus it is then"

Insert the Logan eyebrow raise here

As your relationship grows, so does Logan's admiration for you.

sometimes when he sees you on stage in your white dress he imagines it's a wedding dress

Eventually, you tone down the performance side of your career and start staying at the mansion teaching more. You miss performing sometimes, but this means you can spend more time with your old friends, your students, and Logan.

Logan is a-okay with this he misses the white dress

but that's okay because he's planning a way for you to wear a white dress again :)))

[n1ght0f-nyx]

hiiiiii i'm a big phantom of the opera fan. Could i please please please request a fic where the reader works in the opera house and she has a panic attack but the phantom sees her and sings to calm her down <33333

Song in the Dark

erik destler (the phantom) x gn reader!

The reader, working in the opera house, has a panic attack and hides in a dark corner. The Phantom finds her, sees her distress, and sings a calming song.

warnings- not a realistic panic attack, anxiety

word count: 889 words

divder by kodaswrld

The grandiose halls of the Paris Opera House echoed with the sound of rehearsals. Dancers glided across the stage, singers belted high notes, and behind the scenes, the workers were bustling—adjusting props, fixing costumes, and preparing for the upcoming performance. You, one of the backstage hands, found yourself moving at a rapid pace, trying to keep up with the demands of the day.

But something was different today. There was a tension in your chest that hadn’t been there before. The pressure of work, the fast pace, the noise—it all began to blur together, and suddenly, your world felt as if it was spinning out of control.

You stumbled into a shadowy corner near the labyrinthine hallways beneath the opera house, clutching your chest. Your breaths became shallow, your heart raced, and your mind was swirling with thoughts you couldn’t quiet. You had read about panic attacks before, but nothing could have prepared you for the overwhelming feeling of dread. Your hands trembled as you slid to the ground, tears welling in your eyes.

Suddenly, amidst the darkness and chaos in your mind, a voice emerged from the shadows. Soft, soothing, and hauntingly beautiful, it called out to you.

"Do not be afraid, little one. You are safe here."

The voice wrapped around you like a gentle embrace. Though your heart still raced, you couldn’t help but focus on the sound. A figure stepped into the dim light, cloaked in shadows, yet unmistakable—the Phantom. His white mask gleamed against the darkened walls, and his presence, though intimidating, was oddly comforting in that moment.

He crouched beside you, his voice low and melodic. "You must breathe. Listen to me."

You tried to take a deep breath, but the tightness in your chest remained. Your vision blurred with tears, and you found yourself sinking further into the panic. Sensing your struggle, the Phantom leaned closer, and without a word, he began to sing.

His voice, rich and deep, flowed through the narrow space. The melody was unfamiliar, but it was calm and gentle, like a lullaby meant to soothe a frightened child. The notes filled the air, wrapping around you, coaxing you to focus on the sound rather than the chaos inside your mind.

“Close your eyes,” he whispered between verses.

You obeyed, closing your eyes and listening to his song. The tension in your chest slowly began to ease, as if the weight of your panic was being lifted by the very sound of his voice. You could hear every note, every gentle rise and fall in the melody, and it felt like the world around you had stopped spinning.

The Phantom continued to sing, his voice a balm to your frayed nerves. He wasn’t just singing to calm you down—he was singing for you, as if each note was crafted with you in mind. His presence, once feared by so many in the opera house, felt like a lifeline in your moment of vulnerability.

Gradually, your breathing steadied. The tightness in your chest loosened, and the tears that had spilled over your cheeks began to dry. The panic that had gripped you so fiercely was now fading, replaced by a sense of calm, and the comfort of knowing that someone had been there for you when you needed it most.

When you finally opened your eyes, the Phantom had stopped singing. He was still close, his eyes fixed on you, though half his face remained hidden by his iconic mask. You swallowed hard, feeling a wave of gratitude wash over you, though you weren’t sure what to say.

“Thank you,” you whispered, your voice barely audible.

The Phantom’s lips twitched into a faint smile, though there was something unreadable in his gaze. “There is no need to thank me. The music has always had the power to heal... to calm the soul.”

He rose to his feet with a grace that seemed almost otherworldly and extended a hand to you. Hesitant at first, you took it, allowing him to help you to your feet. Even after the panic had subsided, there was something grounding about his touch.

"You should rest," he said, his voice softer now, almost tender. "The opera will still be here when you are ready."

You nodded, still feeling the aftershocks of your anxiety, but the weight had lifted. The Phantom gave you a final, enigmatic glance before turning away, his figure melting back into the shadows from which he had emerged.

As you watched him disappear into the darkness, you couldn’t help but feel that something had changed within you. Perhaps it was the Phantom’s song, or perhaps it was the realization that, even in the deepest corners of the opera house, even in the midst of fear, you were not alone.

And somewhere, deep in the bowels of the opera house, the Phantom sang on.

[kadextra]

IRONMOUSE INTRODUCTION POST!

Mouse is a Puerto Rican streamer & VTuber (like Jaiden!) who is fluent in Spanish, English, and speaks some Japanese and Korean!

Irl she has an immunodeficiency disorder called CVID which causes her to have pain and be bedridden. Before getting diagnosed she was training with goals of being an opera singer. Due to the isolation of her condition she turned to streaming as a career, and complications from this condition also caused her speaking voice to become higher-pitched. She is a champion for health and encourages donations to immunodeficiency foundations!

Despite her struggles she has very positive, fun-loving mindset. She is sweet, a talented creator, as I said before also a very skilled operatic singer, (her singing voice is very deep) ! and is a member of VTuber agency VShojo. This year she won “Best Vtuber” at the Streamer Awards too :D

She loves to diversify her content as a variety streamer and try doing different things. Her out-of-pocket sense of humor and kindness will mesh perfectly with the other members. She also enjoys making stories for her avatar character (a demon queen) and has been wanting to get into more voice acting lately, so expect her to do some cool lore in the server! :3

Now a clip of her singing :D and another

[soprano-sfogato]

Christine’s part is more about the middle voice, not high notes

I’ve written a post about Christine’s technique in Leroux’s novel, but now let’s talk about the role of Christine in ALW’s musical. I can literally write a book about it—before I’ve chosen opera as my career path, I was aiming to play Christine one day (I had taken voice lessons from one of the actresses who played her many years ago, and I nearly auditioned for the London production). But today, I’ll try to write about this part in a nutshell.

High E is not the most important thing

I know that the role of Christine is primarily associated with that high note, but the whole part is more complex than just one note. It’s wonderful if you can sing this note with ease, but it doesn’t mean that you can sing the entire part well, because

Having a good and strong middle voice is crucial

Christine’s part sits mostly in the middle voice, and since that’s often the most challenging part of the soprano range, you need solid technique to manage singing in that tessitura. If you struggle with your middle voice, it would be impossible for you to sing this part. That’s why you should

Work on your chest voice

A developed chest voice is essential for a strong middle voice. It’s also critical if you want to handle the lower notes—Christine sings quite low at times, even below middle C. Chest voice is a must for this part, and it will also help with

A few high notes

Christine sings high during the Think of me cadenza and at the end of the title song (and in the ensemble at the end of Masquerade). That’s it. It’s not difficult if you have strong, proper technique. Regarding the Think of me cadenza, you should also

Be familiar with the opera style

Yes, Phantom is a musical, but Christine is an opera singer, and the score gives you the opportunity to show it! Plus, if you’ve sung some arias before, it will make the Think of me cadenza (in any version) much easier to sing.

To sum up, while Christine’s high notes are impressive, the role requires much more than that. A strong middle and chest voice, and familiarity with operatic style are essential to mastering that part.

[samalong1]

Hannibal X abused opera Reader

Written with a oc in mind but using you and such

Dead dove do not eat

Tw rape and abuse of power (not by Hannibal) murder,disgust,sucide mentioned, pig fed to pigs,use of guns,cannibalism,and Nsfw and rape

Hannibal preffered knives and similar weopons to guns. It was more intimidate along with consuming his victims getting close to another life. One that had struggles,prides,family, and memories. Ending as they bleed on his knife only to consume him.

He only used a gun once. And never again. He still had the gun in his office framed and everything.

It was for a specific man a man he once respected. The man was called Vernin. He worked hard he performed,directed,and wrote opera even having a few books about him and now worked as a professor at a university teaching others his craft.

He woudnt say he admired him but was aware of his work. So when he attended a Opera performance he was suprised to see a woman introduced as his Student.

You were breathtaking. He got to speak with you and he was pleased to be in the presence of your wits and charm.

He befriended you and while he would of done so if Vernin weren't your mentor he became acquainted to him. He didn't mind of course but he grew suspicious. You were a former student of his and he was still your mentor but his hand would sneak onto your waist and your charm and wit would pour away when he was near.

He tried to speak to you alone but not for perverse reasons but simply to enjoy your company but he'd insist on coming. The man he respected became a annoyance you were flowering as a singer and he was holding you back.

As he got to know you more secretly their was some feelings between you to. He learned that your parents died early in your childhood your mother from cancer and your father years later in a murder suicide from your stepmother.

You came from foster care, a orphan with nothing but you used your voice at first for comfort but soon you learned to flourish from it. You became well educated, you spoke multiple languges,you attended a top college, and you sang at such famous venues and in such classical operas. Your beauty aswell your bright eyes and warm skin all paired with such plump and soft body features.

He started to notice signs more often, how much Vernin dulled you. It all made sense one night when he saw him in one of his fancy parking cars in the opera parking lot, in a blind spot forcing himself on you as he cried. He knew this wasn't the first time. He knew the dullness was fear.

It took weeks. You went through so much you didn't deserve to witness his act. The act of him shooting the man he once respected in the head, he wasn't bothered to create art or a scene of his body and the thoughts of eating the man sickened him.

His body was fed to the pigs the only animal close to his level of filth. He stared as the body was eaten feeling a small smirk.

After the grieving you were much happier in his arms. You flourished you were much happier with him then Vernin ever made you. After every show he was in the crowd holding flowers and giving a standing ovation and if he wasn't clapping it was because he was lost in the smile and glimmer in your eyes.

[yzy-dragon]

I absolutely ADORED S2E9 "Three Stories" of Link Click and was a bit surprised to see the discontent here on Tumblr, and I totally understand the reasons why people didn't like it, especially in the context of the pacing of the rest of S2 (which I also have some opinions on but I won't talk about that here), but I also felt the need to just get my heart out why I love it so much. A bit of background, I'm Chinese American but have lived in and visited China numerous times.

Music and theater. As a western classical musician and an amateur Chinese opera singer enthusiast (I saw someone else post about the possible inspo this episode got from Chinese opera), I VIBED with the artistic direction of this episode SO much. The three-part structure was almost like a sonata/symphony (and remember that one scene where Qian Jin was air-conducting in a previous episode!!) or scene changes in a Chinese opera. Nothing needs to be said about the animation style that hasn't been said already, but I like how scenes from the three individual "stories" were interwoven and reused like leitmotifs. Especially that crazy, tortured laughter. Idk if any of the parallels were intentional on the part of the director, but it's what I got from it due to my personal experiences. I know that's a highly subjective takeaway though, which brings me to my next point....

Qian Jin's "tragic" backstory. I know a lot of people were upset that the extent of Qian Jin's tragic backstory was "oh his wife cheated on him", but I think the "basicness" of his struggles was the whole point (by the way, this segment displayed various attitudes towards work, family, marriage, individual pride, and life in mainland China so subtly but so well!). I also don't think sympathy was the main thing we were supposed to feel for him, although of course there is some. The whole "tragicomedy" aspect of Qian Jin's story is that it's not some horrible, terrible, rare thing that happened to him, but a common problem faced by so many hardworking but busy married men trying to provide for their families: infidelity. But Qian Jin sees himself as the main character of an elaborate play that rivals the great dramatic classics (which, funnily enough, often depicted very DRAMATIZED versions of a rather basic series of events). And his viewpoint is validated when....

Qian Jin meets the twins. That segment is still largely from Qian Jin's perspective, because we still don't really know how LTC and LTX even feel about him. But for Qian Jin, it's a stroke of fate and fortune that could only possibly happen in theater. He's very far removed from reality at this point. Reality is that a cop whose job it is to investigate violent crime comes across two kids who are the victims of a violent crime. Again, nothing particularly special or even coincidential. It's comical like that.

The fairy tale section.  Unlike the first two, I think this segment is from Xixi’s perspective, which not only justifies the cartoony artstyle but also makes it heartbreaking, due to her childlike innocence.  Like Qian Jin, she also perceives her reality as something it’s not, but unlike him, she doesn’t have delusions of grandeur of being a tragic protagonist.  It’s just a little fox trying to survive in a forest full of predators and hunters.  

All that tortured laughter. I’ve actually noticed in a lot of Chinese media that they like to use laughter as a way of signifying a person’s complete mental breakdown due to the tragedies they’ve suffered.  It’s a very internal thing that has people on the outside going, “WTF?”  In this episode we have a lot of characters crazily laughing together at the same time and it seems like they’re relating to each other, but in reality they’re all trapped in their own nightmarish hells and motivated by selfish purposes. 

Back to the topic of Qian Jin, even though he (innaccurately) may see himself as the hero of his own story, it's not enough for him. He wants to use Cheng Xiaoshi to change the past. He wants to become the director of the play.

I know a lot of people were disappointed this episode didn't advance the plot, especially in regard to Cheng Xioashi and Lu Guang's storylines, but I was actually prepared for a backstory episode and couldn't have been more satisfied. Again, I have other opinions on the rest of S2 but at least standalone, I think this episode was nearly perfect. And I really wasn't expecting this, but it's really elevated Qian Jin to one of my top characters.

[chowplanet]

So I'm going to make another rant this time for Jackie Bouvier Kennedy Onassis. Enough with the corny, "she eats metal sheets," meme of Jackie. Okay, we all know she wasn't super gorgeous like Jessical Alba or Scarlett Johansson level, I get it. Jackie's teeth does remind me she drank coffee and smoked a lot. This lady has been through so much in her younger years. She lost three children before JFK's assassination. If JFK Jr. died before his mother on the plane accident she would have witnessed four of children's deaths. We all know she grew up rich and privileged, so she isn't "relatable" like Marilyn Monroe. This doesn't mean Jackie Kennedy never dealt with problems growing up. There are rumors that she was possibly a racist all because she didn't liked her wedding dress which designed by a black woman, but how come no one is mentioning Jackie invited a black female opera singer to the white house to perform when the black female opera singer was struggling financially? I know it's Marilyn Monroe's cult worshippers dissing and roasting Jackie Kennedy on a daily basis. But let me tell you this Jackie Kennedy had the right to be upset at both her husband (JFK) and Marilyn Monroe. It takes two to tango and Monroe knew he was a married man. Sophia Loren, Barbara Eden (I dreamed of Jeannie), Trippi Hedren, Olivia De Havilland, and Jean Simmons all rejected or decline JFK because they were aware he was married. He wanted to hook up with them, and those ladies all turned him down. So please do not come to me by saying Marilyn Monroe was 100% a victim when clearly she wasn't forced to have an affair with the president and his married brother (RFK). I also want to give Jackie major props for telling Marilyn Monroe on the phone since she kept on calling the White House and bragging to Jackie that she was going to steal her husband. Jackie didn't backed down nor was intimidated. She hold her posture by telling Monroe she can move in to deal with the problems while she moves out and does not have to deal with being a Kennedy wife or a first lady anymore. I say Jackie was ballsy. That was so gangsta of her. That was one bad ass first lady besides Eleanor Roosevelt and Dolly Madison. This woman has to witness her husband getting shot right next to her while her pink suit is dreaded with his blood and his dead body on her lap all the way from Dealey Plaza to Parkland Hospital. After that she has to take care of two children. She has to move out of the White House very quickly around the Thanksgiving holiday. So people saying she isn't strong enough or smart enough (Jackie spoke five different languages) is absurd. I don't think some people would be in Jackie's shoes especially the ones who are saying she wasn't a strong woman. People are also going in on her because she wasn't some kind of a Hollywood actress like Monroe. I don't think Jackie ever gave a (bleep). She didn't care about that Hollywood lifestyle, nor she cared Marilyn is a Hollywood icon. One thing for sure Jackie is not going to kiss certain people's butts just because they have that title. I like her punk attitude that she didn't care for celebrity worship culture. People are really giving Marilyn a pass because she was a blonde and blue eye Hollywood legend. Enough is enough. JFK and Marilyn were wrong. Jackie could have been killed on November 22, 1963. She was right there next to her murdered husband. And no one seems to care because she wasn't "hot and fine" enough. It is crazy to find out the last thing JFK saw was his wife's face before before getting shot in the head. Hopefully in the afterlife he thought about the things he put Jackie through here on earth. That he really had a good woman in his life. Sad just sad.

And by the way, I've noticed people are mocking JFK's death more often compared to Abraham Lincoln. I don't know because Lincoln is more respected (which I love how he is still respected to this day) or is because some enviousness is going on around here. Whatever it is stop with the corny JFK's jokes about his head exploded. Idk but it's giving jealousy and envy. Maybe it has something to do with he hooked up with Marilyn and other people wish they were in his position to do so. Whatever it is, stop with the mad corny jokes it isn't even funny. I'm talking to you Reddit users, TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram users.

[rocksibblingsau]

How would Poppy and Brozone react to Branch opera singing?

I'm assuming this is for the Classical Branch AU

I think context matters. If they're seeing him sing opera before the rescue happens I think they'd have a lot stronger shock reactions than say after the perfect family harmony where they'd watch him sing as supportive brothers.

Poppy either way I think she'd just be so caught up in being happy for him that I don't know if she'd mind the genre. Be it happy that he's not dead (if early on in meeting) or happy that he's actually singing and happy.

John Dory if before they resolve things, I think he'd get caught up on a million things before Branch even opened his mouth to sing. Either way I think he'd point out Branch's range and skill with his high notes. Opera is a craft that takes a lot of control as I've come to learn from an ex-opera singer Youtuber!

Bruce if before, I think he'd downplay how impressive it is, reacting more like a dad hearing a child bang a toy keyboard for a 'concert'. The praise he'd give feels a bit ingenuine. If after, I think he'd actually pay attention and enjoy it a lot!

Clay if before I think he'd struggle still with the whole 'Branch being better at being serious' thing. He can make MUSIC serious too??? Afterwards I think he'd become a HUGE fan of opera though, and ask Branch for recommendations. I think it'd be pretty funny too if, similar to how Clay would get asked to do the rusty robot, Clay comes to Branch asking him to do certain songs.

Floyd's before and after are pretty much the same to me - he's just happy Branch found happiness on the stage after his first failed concert.

I wanna clarify that I don't think JD, Bruce or Clay would be intentionally hurtful or dismissive, but Bruce and Clay both had their moments of being VERY dismissive to Branch's feelings. All three were putting Branch in a box of 'still a baby who hasn't changed any' and Branch singing opera would challenge that, so they'd challenge it back.

[charlotte-family-apologist]

Since y’all really like it here’s my headcanons on opera singer Bi-Han!

Became obsessed with Chinese opera at the ripe age of three and decided that’s what he wanted to do with his life.

Kuai Liang was scared of Chinese opera as a child.

His mother had a friend who worked in an opera house and she was more than happy to give him lessons.

Sings almost exclusively in Chinese.

When he was kidnapped by the Lin Kuei they banned him from singing, but he stubbornly continued to practice when he had time on solo missions. Seeing it as his own act of rebellion.

Has a surprisingly high signing voice (maybe soprano? Kinda hard to tell since he has a deep voice) and incredible vocal range.

Can crack glass with his voice and is insanely proud of it.

When Hanzo tore his head off his vocal cords were torn to shit, giving his voice as Noob a scratchy and strained quality to it.

His ability to sing was impacted heavily by his death and resurrection. He struggles to hold and hit high notes without devolving into coughing fits, getting a sore throat, and/or losing his voice for hours to days at a time. But if Bi-Han’s anything, it’s stubborn so he continues to “build up his tolerance”.

The mind control placed on him as Noob didn’t allow him to indulge in hobbies but he did find himself subconsciously falling back into old habits and singing when he’s alone. Causing him to gain a reputation as a “siren”. It was said if you can hear him you’re already dead.

His clones can’t talk but he does use them as back up vocals.

After being freed (because I’m going off he’s still Noob physically but Bi-Han mentally) he starts to wander through realms and his reputation grows.

He became a cryptid in Earthrealm and has been posted hundreds of times on paranormal forums. Had a buzzfeed unsolved episode dedicated to him. He was unaware of the attention he garnered but after he realized he became a massive troll.

Kuai Liang, while happy he has his brother back, wishes he would stop singing creepily late at night.

Sareena loves it and melts when he serenades her. Nearly fainted from shock the first time he did it. This man is a hopeless romantic. I will not be changing my mind.

(Not a headcanon but has anyone seen Ride the Cyclone? The Ballad of Jane Doe reminds me of him. And Talia reminds me of Bireena.)

[mikashisus]

OLDER : y/n & friends !

Y/N — 20. dropped out of college after being offered a role in a big time musical. has been struggling for another big role to keep herself on her feet. lucked out with the role of guizhong. lives in a studio apartment in liyue harbor and has the perfect view of guyun stone forest. struggles with self esteem and depression. #daddy issues. originally from mondstadt but moved to liyue to get away from her family.

XIAO — 20. part time student at teyvat university. film major with a graphic design minor. wants to become a director. owns a small house in dihua marsh. likes gardening and cooks his own food with the vegetables he grows in his garden. planted a few fruit trees around his property. wants to befriend aether and lumine, two famous models from mondstadt that like to vacay in liyue, but is too shy to talk to them. has a love-hate relationship with his sister, hu tao.

KEQING — 24. was in theatre for two years in high school before moving to production crew, where her career in fashion design started. graduated college with a degree in fashion design and a finance minor. owns a studio apartment in liyue harbor—same floor as y/n. became close friends with y/n through working on the movie (and being her neighbor). plans on proposing to ganyu soon.

GANYU — 27. originally pursued a career in fashion design, only to abandon that dream and become an actress instead. prefers to be cast in romance films, but only if the film has sapphic leads. she won’t do male/female romance. likes to bake and often brings cookies and brownies over to y/n’s apartment. likes to play chess with zhongli and ping. moved in with keqing when they were still in college. might start pursuing a career in production and/or directing.

KUNI — 21. one of y/n’s best friends. the two became pen pals at a young age and eventually met in college (before y/n dropped out). majoring in art with an anthropology minor. watches every show, movie, and musical that y/n stars in. wants to see her in a few horror movies. recently moved in with kazuha. #mommy issues. wants to go back to inazuma one day and build a house somewhere desolate. beidou and ningguang spoil him (he’ll never admit it, but he’s very grateful to them for their love and support).

KAZUHA — 20. one of y/n’s best friends. the two have been close since they were children. was in band all throughout school. majoring in music industry (like mother like son). writes poetry on the side. in a long term relationship with kunikuzushi. has a beautiful singing voice and has been recommended for a few musicals, though he isn’t interested in an acting career. loves the dynamic that kuni has with his mothers (beidou and ningguang). hopes that kuni can reconcile with ei, though it’s incredibly unlikely.

HU TAO — 23. was a theatre kid all throughout school. became close friends with y/n through xiao. yappatron 3000. owns a house in liyue harbor and often spends the weekends visiting xiao or zhongli. when she isn’t directing or producing, she is acting or dancing. full-time director, part-time actor. radiates big sister energy. usually gets cast in horror films. currently writing her own horror novel and plans on turning it into a movie afterwards.

YUN JIN — 21. one of y/n’s close friends. majoring in dance with a theatre minor. has been involved in the performing arts her whole life. wants to become an opera singer. famous at teyvat university for her incredible singing voice. covers a bunch of songs and uploads them on social media (mostly songs from musicals or operas). sings a few rock songs now and then not only because she likes rock, but also because her girlfriend, xinyan, does. her rock covers are all songs from xinyan’s band.

YELAN — 33. a family friend of y/n’s and a big sister figure. graduated college with a degree in criminology, only to never use it and instead spend most of her time on cruises. perfectly happy being single for the rest of her life. doesn’t mind hookups now and then. the exact definition of that one rich asian aunt. likes to tease y/n about her crush on zhongli.

masterlist

SUMMARY: when your acting career booms, the stress of the spotlight and your every move being watched starts to drown you whole. the only escape from a complete all time low comes in the form of your attractive coworker, zhongli— a distinguished and slightly older man that you can’t seem to stop thinking about.

[fuckyeahhistorycrushes]

GASPARE PACCHIEROTTI! (1740-1821)

One of the greatest castrato opera singers of all time, perhaps exceeding Farinelli. Not only a virtuoso possessed of a huge vocal range from soprano to tenor, able to sing any style with great taste and sensitivity to the intention of the composer, a consummate actor, with great intelligence and judgment about drama and music, but also a pleasant, kind, and gentle person, modest to a fault. All the biographers write in praise of his character, and in Susanna Burney's diaries (quoted extensively in Linda Kelley's Susanna, the Captain & the Castrato, in which Pacchierotti is so cute it's criminal, GAH) a portrait emerges of a sweet, shy, and also funny and charming man with a good word for everybody, a serious dedication to his craft, lifelong struggles with stage fright, and deep empathy.

He was also ugly. This didn't stop women from falling in love with him left and right. But he was embarrassed by it and didn't like portraits. The above portrait is flattering, but there are also plenty of surviving images that are... not.

In 2013 Pacchierotti was exhumed and studied by anthropologists. I was really sad to see the commentary around the internet circuit often leaned "freak show", leaning on lurid fascination with bodily difference (rather than similarity, which was also found by the study). He even got skull-shamed for having a weird face. Poor man is 200 years dead and people are still calling him ugly. This was a person who was a lot more than a physical oddity; we can no longer hear his voice, but we can remember his inner beauty.

"If he had not been a singer, he would probably have been a poet; for his ideas, even in current conversation, ran involuntarily into poetical imagery ... when he was highly animated in conversation, the effusions of his imagination resembled his cadences in music, by their excursionary flights, and impassioned bursts of deep, yet tender sensibility. ... Timidity and animation seemed to balance his disposition with alternate sway; but his character was of a benevolence that had no balance, no mixture whatsoever." -Memoirs of Doctor Burney, by Frances d'Arblay

[running-with-the-feels]

I will be doing that Kenshi character analysis when I have more free time (life's been hectic lately), but until then, please take my headcanons:

Kenshi chews hard candies. This is apparently a genetic trait since Takeda does the same thing.

Frost's real name is Morya (pronounced mori-ya) and she's Russian and Kazakh.

Her hair was also originally black but turned white with age. Which is a common thing for cryomancers, the fact that Kuai Liang has any black hair at his big age is nothing short of a miracle.

Sonya is a kleptomaniac and was a chronic shoplifter in her early teen years (a habit that took months to break). Nothing big just some snack food but she still finds herself pocketing things she's not supposed to.

Liu Kang's favorite song is One Week by Barenaked Ladies. If he's being honest, it kinda reminds him of his relationship with Kung Lao. (I have so many Liu Kang headcanons it's unreal but I'm going to limit myself to one for this ask)

This one's long:

Bi Han, before being kidnapped by the Lin Kuei, wanted to be an opera singer. He wasn't good at singing to start out, but one of his mom's friends worked at an opera house and was happy to give him free lessons. After being initiated into the Lin Kuei he was banned from indulging in hobbies as they were seen as meaningless. But he continued to practice if he had time on solo missions. He saw it as his own act of freedom/rebellion.

Then Hanzo tore his head off. As Noob he didn't even get to try, since the whole mind control business. Sometimes he'd find himself unconsciously falling back into old habits leading to people being unnerved when Noob fucking Saibot started hitting notes high enough to crack glass at them like some kind of horror movie.

Even after getting his humanity restored, his vocal cords were permanently damaged and pushing his voice too hard results in coughing fits, soreness, and losing his voice for days at a time. And when he does sing, it's strained and sometimes hurts. But if Bi Han's anything it's stubborn so he continues to "build up his tolerance" as he calls it.

EEEEEEEEEE can't wait to see it and I love these

The first time Sonya sees Kenshi chew a hard candy she walks straight into a wall in horror. Cassie does the same when she catches Takeda doing it.

The only people allowed to call Frost Morya are Kuai Liang and Cassie. Kuai Liang only ever does it when she's ill or injured and though she'll never admit it she finds it very comforting, and Cassie calls her that whenever she wants to kiss her really bad (bc Frost always kisses her when she does)

Kuai Liang still has black hair that oddly shows no sign of greying, but his eyes tend to flicker between their normal brown and a terrifyingly bright blue whenever he has a strong emotion, a trait also common in cryomancers.

Johnny is actually Sonya's biggest supporter in breaking her habit of nicking things and is the only person she's ever met that hasn't judged her for it, which she appreciates

Kung Lao's fav song is all star by smash mouth and he's the one who introduced Liu Kang to most of the music that Liu Kang knows (pls tell me your Liu Kang hc if you get the chance, I Beg)

Bi-Han used to sing lullabies to Kuai Liang and Tomáš in the Lin Kuei and Enenra can still be founding humming the tunes along to himself after a hard battle.

Noob got a bit of a reputation as a siren in the Netherrealm bc if you heard him singing it meant you were already dead.

After they resurrected Bi-Han and he began living at the Lin Kuei temple with Kuai Liang, Hanzo eventually came to apologize for killing him, it didn't go well but Hanzo is trying to atone and Bi-Han is struggling to stay angry about it (especially when Kuai Liang wants them to get along so bad)

Hanzo found out about the damage to his vocal chords and sought out an edenian tea said to be able to aid in the healing of such wounds, gifting it to the shadow wielder as part of his apology.

Bi-Han will never admit it but it actually works and being able to sing without pain again, even if only for as long as the tea is in effect, is the first thing to make him really feel human again

[puppetdaily]

Sexy Puppet Tournament Round 1 THE CREATURE vs CLEO LION

The Creature (Frankenstein, Hamburg State Opera)

What horror! What monstrosity! The monster depicted with true stretched rotting skin, bits pieced together, a jaw that hardly holds on, a hulking, terrifying form. And the less human he appears, the more he seems to appeal to the human condition... The more one can relate to his struggle to integrate, to his reckoning with his condition... the more one can relate to him... intimately?

Cleo Lion (Between the Lions)

Goofy? Check. Educated? Check. Absolute MILF icon? Also check. Cleon Lion is truly all that. Reader, singer, storyteller, childhood icon. She's taught us a lot in our lives, but I still have one question for her... How well is that marriage with Theo going? Like... do I have a shot?