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adhd-ahamilton · 3 years ago

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I got to see Hamilton in Sydney!!

It was a seriously, seriously amazing time – I was always worried that by the time I finally got to see Hamilton on stage (I was even supposed to see it in America last year lmfao) it wouldn’t mean the same anymore. And like, obviously it’s not my hyperfixation anymore. But even like this, it was still an incredible experience! I always figured that the recording would focus more on close-ups and the like because you can’t really see that on stage, but you really can see so much of what’s going on when you see it live and the whole stage is full of things to notice!

I have a lot of thoughts about it (mainly about the Australian cast, though some of these things could just be live performance things)!

Firstly, only two lines had their wordings changed:

* ‘John Adams doesn’t have a real job, anyway’ → ‘Vice president is not a real job, anyway.’ This got a good laugh from the audience; obviously it was changed to preserve the joke, since most Aussies wouldn’t have a good idea of who John Adams was. (I explained the joke when I watched the recording with my parents.)

* ‘Weehawken. Dawn.’ → ‘Jersey. Dawn.’ This was a bit of a surprise, but the more I think about it the more it makes sense. Aussies also wouldn’t know Weehawken (I didn’t even get that he was referring to a place when I first heard it), while Jersey is very clear because they already made a joke about it. (That one didn’t get much of a laugh though, ofc lol) And it’s actually more consistent because later they do say ‘we were near the same spot my son died, is that why’ so they drive that connection even deeper.

I don’t think there were any other music/staging/choreography differences from the recording – just the acting. But ooh, this really was differently-acted!

Hamilton

I love Lin-Manuel Miranda. I love his energy and enthusiasm and intelligence and his optimism. But while I loved his dorky version of Hamiton, I have to admit, I didn’t always think it matched up with even the musical’s script, let alone the real person. This Hamilton, though? I kept thinking about all the ways he felt different from the original, and almost every time, it was like ‘yeah, this feels more like what I know of the real Hamilton.’ (Or at least, the Hamilton we wrote about in fic.)

This Hamilton is aggressive and prickly. Up until Helpless, we don’t really see him smile – which makes sense, y’know, with ‘talk less, smile more.’ When he confronts Burr at the beginning of the play, he doesn’t have Miranda’s overly energetic and talkative air, he’s more pushy and too intense. You really feel like, oh, yeah, he’s just walking up to someone on the street and badgering them into telling him about their life story. When he says ‘God, I wish there was a war’ he’s less naive and more so hyperfocused on his goal he doesn’t notice he’s said something super insensitive. When Burr says ‘You wanna get ahead?’ his ‘Yes’ isn’t quiet and firm, it’s more ‘yes obviously, nobody would not want to get ahead, so just hurry up and tell me already.’

And that’s just in the first couple of songs! He continues on like this, with that kind of burning intensity and hot temper, through the musical, though ofc it softens at important times. Importantly, his relationship with Burr is largely based in frustration. When he does ‘My Shot’, it honestly feels less like he’s singing to impress the guys and more like he’s challenging Burr and everything he just told him; I’m sure I saw him glancing back at Burr several times. Likewise, when he tells Burr to go get Theodosia, it’s not questioning – he’s outright saying that if he really loved her, he’d take any risk for her. And in Schuyler Defeated, his ‘Burr?’ isn’t questioning there, either – he’s already angry, he’s just demanding his attention. He genuinely seems to like Burr in a weird way that even he might not understand at times, but for the most part he just seems to find him really frustrating and is always trying to incite him to do more.

This Hamilton also feels very independent, and even aloof. In The Story of Tonight, while the other guys are totally sincere and moved by it all, Hamilton feels sorta… distant. At one point he half walks off until Laurens brings him back, which I think happens in the recording as well, but here I especially felt like that was how he was ‘really�� feeling. Not that he was being manipulative or lying in any way, just that he couldn’t be in the moment because he was still stuck in his head thinking about the future. And the whole way through, he very rarely seems to properly open up – my friend said afterwards that Hurricane hits so much harder when it’s the first time he’s really vulnerable in the entire musical. Which is basically how it happens.

It’s funny – you think of Hamilton and Burr as being contrasting this way, with Burr keeping his cards close to his chest and not revealing what he really wants until The Room Where It Happens, but this Hamilton doesn’t feel far off. But rather than keeping a secret per se, it’s more… he has such an incredibly strong, intense drive, and you’re never super certain where it comes from. And in Hurricane, it suddenly becomes clear – all this time, he’s still caught up in that trauma, and still feels like he needs to fight and scrape just to survive, even when it turns into this self-destructive impulse. Honestly, Hurricane has always been kind of a weird song – he’s been corrupted and is not the most sympathetic beforehand, but then you get this grand slow inspiring song talking about how he suffered in the past and overcame it, but THEN you cut to an almost comedic number about how he fucked everything up for himself and his family. In Miranda’s version, that mood up-and-down always felt a little too jarring. Here it made perfect sense – it was so shocking to see how vulnerable he was at the beginning, and then the song isn’t just repeating what we learned in the beginning, it’s explaining what he’s been keeping deep down all along, but also making it clear that this is manic and awful and destructive.

Part of that is the singing, too. This Hamilton can rap really well, but his singing voice is startlingly gentle and beautiful. It really helps to get across the sincerity of his feelings in Helpless, Dear Theodosia, and as I said Hurricane. On the other hand, there are also times his voice just goes flat, like there are so many emotions he can’t process them – you see that a bit in My Shot when he gets worried (‘I never had a group of friends before’), but it REALLY stings when he says ‘I have so much work to do.’ That hit me way harder than Miranda’s version :(

However, when you combine this Hamilton’s aloofness with that certainty and intelligence, you also get a version of him that is particularly… ironic? He’s always crossing his arms (when he’s not rubbing his face with a palm; those two gestures repeat constantly through the play), and kinda stepping back and Watching people, with a bit of a sense of self-important and even patronising judgement. This is very much ‘So quick-witted!’ ‘Alas, I admit it.’ He definitely does come across like a dude who thinks he is ‘smartest in the room,’ and puts way too much stock in his own opinion. Particularly with Burr whenever they were getting along there was a distinct sense of ‘You know what? I actually think you’re pretty interesting. And my positive judgement is hard to come by, so that’s a big compliment.’ (Burr does not seem to get this weirdly condescending vibe though, lol.) Honestly…. I gotta admit: I really don’t like people like that, haha – though I can’t say it’s entirely inappropriate for Hamilton characterisation. This Hamilton genuinely feels difficult, and that matches up to what happens in the script.

But, the consequence is that after Hurricane, some of the later songs didn’t have quite as much of an impact on me as in the original. In It’s Quite Uptown, I could somehow never quite lose that vision of Hamilton as a bit sarcastic and superior – the way he rubs at his face in grief still just felt a little… put-on and theatrical, like you can hear the frustrated sigh underneath. And this is a song that demands complete, total, unrelenting vulnerability – Miranda’s Hamilton sounds like he’s dying the whole time and that makes the emotional stakes really felt. Maybe it’s that his voice was TOO gentle in this song – Miranda’s more awkward voice actually adds to the exhausted brokenness of the situation?

And finally, when we got to The World Was Wide Enough… Miranda’s speech there in the silence might just be my favourite sequence in the entire musical, so I think anyone else would have struggled to match up to that. It doesn’t help that I was distracted trying to figure out Burr in this scene (which I’ll get to later). It was still beautiful, of course, but ‘What is a legacy?’ just feels so so very Lin-Manuel Miranda and anyone else singing that just doesn’t feel the same.

Overall, I really really enjoyed this version of Alexander Hamilton – as I said, he felt much closer to the actual characterisation I always imagined for him. And this one showed some really fascinating vulnerability in unexpected places, even if the ending didn’t quite land as well for me.

Burr

This Burr was really, really fascinating as well – an interpretation that feels different all the way through, but really pays off at the end with something very striking.

So, something the group of us all agreed was that this Burr felt a lot more like the ‘trust fund baby’ he calls himself. There’s something elegant and refined about him, a rich person who is used to moving through the world as a person to be admired. He’s actually quite graceful, somehow, even though he barely dances? But that also really brings to the fore one particular element – entitlement. (Seriously, my mum is physically incapable of bringing up Burr without mentioning the word ‘entitled’, lol.)

This is a Burr who is used to not having to work for things. He just sort of expects things to fall into his lap, eventually, in contrast to Hamilton. The world will eventually shape to match his desires – that’s how things work. Even in the latter part of the musical, it doesn’t so much feel like he needs to fight and scrape like Hamilton to get ahead, but more like… getting ahead is his birthright, and he just needs to effect that inevitable change into the world. But I’ll get to all that later.

The other thing my friend said was that this Burr feels very much like a preacher’s son, and the more I thought about that the more I agree. There’s something almost… toxically positive about him – the smiles don’t feel two-faced and manipulative so much as maybe like, wilfully ignorant? There’s a very ‘Don’t fret, God will work things out in the end :)’ feel about him, actually. But there’s also something deeply naive in him. Leslie Odom Junior’s version also had some of that genuine lack of understanding – when he muses in confusion over Hamilton in Wait For It, or when his face scrunches in confusion when he says ‘I don’t see why that has to end’ in Schuyler Defeated, and this one does all that, but it feels like an even more inescapable part of his character.

Like, there’s something about this Burr that is just a bit… lame. A bit ‘Hello Fellow Kids.’ But, intentionally!! As I said, he’s a preacher’s son. When he tries to act kinda cool or badass, it just doesn’t quite work. When he interacts with the other guys, even as he smiles wanly and shakes it off when they insult him, you feel like he does still want to be – or even think he is? - part of that group of cool young men. He’s just too… nice, almost. I felt a little more bad during The Story Of Tonight (Reprise) and all. And he seems to take it really earnestly that Hamilton likes him, even if, like I said, there’s a sorta superior quality coming from Hamilton.

He just comes across more naive. Rather than a manipulator, this Burr comes across as more of a shameless Yes Man, who doesn’t think there’s anything wrong with what he’s doing. But I also sort of felt like other characters easily saw through him, and Burr didn’t quite realise that. Like with Jefferson, it sorta felt like he thought he was being really strategic but Jefferson was just like ‘sure, this guy works as an ally, even if he’s kinda annoying.’

And when it comes to Wait For It… the song makes it clear that bad things have happened to him – he hasn’t gone through life without suffering – but he hasn’t had the same reaction Hamilton has had. While Hamilton learned nothing will come to him unless he takes it, it feels like Burr learned that things will just… happen to him, good or bad, and he can’t control it. Nothing that has ever really affected Burr has been of his choice – he inherited his position, and then his parents died, and all of that was just the uncontrollable whim of the universe. Leslie Odom Junior’s version emphasised the ‘I am the one thing I can control’ aspect a bit more – you feel that that version really had worked hard and struggled for the sake of his studies and job, but this Wait For It gave me a very uncomfortable feeling of being trapped. It’s as though everything about him is already decided, and even his efforts aren’t personal decisions so much as just what was natural and expected of him to do.

And that makes the second half of the story feel very different for him. In Leslie Odom Junior’s version, we see him take that self-control to new levels – that realisation that there is something that means as much to him as all of that drive and intensity Hamilton puts out, and it’s his own ambition. That he does want that, and he will have to fight and get his hand dirty to make it happen. As the story goes on, he becomes increasingly desperate and fearful, understanding more and more what it was to be that kid in the hurricane, becoming viscerally aware that terrible things can and will happen to him unless he stops them.

This Burr doesn’t feel like that. His downfall isn’t frantic. It’s very very cold.

In The Room Where It Happens, yes, his ambition crystallises and he changes strategy. But it feels less like an electric jolt, or an earthquake, and more of an epiphany. It’s okay for him to do these things. It’s right. He belongs in the room where it happens. Whatever he does to bring him there is by definition right and good.

He honestly seems to be feeling good through much of it. He’s so smiley when he comes up to Jefferson. He seems even more confused than Leslie’s Burr when Hamilton is actually mad at him for unseating Schuyler. And in The Election of 1800, there’s nothing of the original’s tired, manic energy, like he’s pushing himself to the brink and plastering on a smile to get through it. When this Burr campaigns, he’s energized and charismatic and friendly and filled with almost a kind of serenity. Like this is what he was born to do. His future is almost here – he just needs to reach out a little and it will be in his grasp.

Which, brief aside here while I analyse this haha – so, in Australia, a big part of our culture is what is called Tall Poppy Syndrome. i.e., an instinctive bitterness and hostility towards those who are perceived to stand above others. It’s often described as an aggression towards successful people, but I think that’s only part of it. Australians would describe their culture as breezy and casual and relaxed, but there’s also something disaffected about it, IMO. You’re not meant to ever take anything too seriously. Yes, we all take the piss out of politicians, but it’s sorta ‘lame’ to really seriously oppose them, too. It’s like our culture is stuck in the mindset of a self-conscious fifteen year old, where we’re all sorta lazily cynical and ‘bluntly honest’, but you’re not supposed to ever actually do anything about it all. Caring too much is kinda embarrassing. You’re just supposed to make fun of people and keep living your life. We don’t get the same fundamentalist groups intent on forcing their viewpoint on society like America does, but we also don’t get the same idealists who fervently believe that if we work hard we can make things better. They exist, for sure. But… well, it’s hard for me to imagine an Australian Leslie Knope, you know? (Who, btw, is one of my favourite fictional characters of all time, for reference.)

Watching Burr in The Election of 1800, I was struck by a memory. It was an Australian season of The Amazing Race, and on top of all of the typical relaxed Australian reality show contenders (seriously, I don’t know what the fuck Drag Race Down Under is on, that is the most un-Australian reality show I have ever SEEN), there was one couple that were I suppose Go-Getters. The type who eat healthily (probably vegan) and get up every morning in their athleisure to work out at the gym or go for runs. They were peppy and enthusiastic and they announced with huge smiles that they were going to WIN this! And the other contestants absolutely despised them. At one point, they did something to attract specific ire – honestly, it was probably nothing more than just not helping another duo who were going the wrong way, because in Australian reality shows everyone helps. But after that, multiple groups all ganged up to sabotage them. They took such delight in watching these two cheery people’s optimism flag, so very self-assured in having taught them to ‘not take yourself too seriously.’ Burr, as he was campaigning, reminded me of them.

It’s really telling, I think, that Burr is the one who reminded me a little of Leslie Knope, here – albeit obviously a much darker version. The kind of person who dorkily believes in the system and puts himself out there unselfconsciously, whose wide smiles are unironic and unmocking. In the original, Lin Manuel Miranda actually compared Hamilton to Leslie Knope at one point, with Hamilton’s ‘thirty years of disagreements.’ It’s a very Australian thing, to make Hamilton less earnest and more aloof and sarcastic, to make his anger as much about frustration with other people as about believing in something himself, and to make Burr, by comparison, sincere. Australians don’t really trust sincerity. Honesty is to be framed as an insulting joke, and Burr is just too polite to do that.

When the results come, Burr’s serene smile only very very slowly fades. Before his expression really drops, he turns away. When Your Obedient Servant starts, he’s quiet. The whole time he sings, he’s measured and controlled and entirely certain of himself. He doesn’t have LOJ’s grit or spikes in volume on ‘just to keep me from winning.’ He’s unnervingly quiet.

Even into The World Was Wide Enough this continues. In the original, Burr is outright frantic. He’s desperate and shaking with anger and fear, and when he points at Hamilton’s glasses and the like, you can feel that he actually isn’t sure of himself – that he’s trying to justify this to himself and knows he sounds crazy, but he just can’t pull back now. His voice shakes and goes up and down. When he says ‘we were near the same spot his son died, is that way?’ it rises and when he says ‘this man will not make an orphan of my daughter’ he cracks in real tears, like the mention of Philip reminded him of what’s at stake here, like that really is the reason he’ll kill him. This Burr stays quiet and cold. He doesn’t waver.

If that Burr was desperate, this one feels… and I hope this doesn’t sound like a joke: like a thwarted rich nice guy. The other Burr learned from Hamilton too well, and is replicating his self-destructive energy. This Burr hasn’t learned anything at all. Winning is still his birthright, and Hamilton has stolen that from him. Burr deserves it, and he deserves to punish Hamilton for this. It’s not an explosion of shock, a scrabbling for purchase in this new chaotic world that will doom them both. It’s vindictive. Burr knows what he is doing and he wants to hurt Hamilton for all Hamilton has hurt him.

After the shot, I was surprised to find myself not tearing up as I expected (usually, these two last songs always get me). With the original Burr, his singing is laced with pain as much as regret. When he repeats ‘death doesn’t discriminate’, we feel his sorrow as he fits Hamilton into the same kind of category as his parents and wife, as someone important to him who died. When he says ‘he may have been the first one who died, but I’m the one who paid for it,’ we understand that he’s referring to the depth of his grief. That having to live with knowing he killed Hamilton feels, in this moment, worse than death.

This Burr is still cold. And when he finally gets to it, and says ‘I’m the one who paid for it,’ he looks away. He almost spits. His face is contorted in bitterness. It’s rough and gritty, for the first time in the entire musical.

I can remember it vividly – it was shocking to see, and sends shivers through me to remember. I’d been waiting for that cathartic sadness, but it wasn’t here. This Burr, deep down, didn’t feel for Hamilton, at least in the end. He was pissed off because for once in his life his actions had consequences. Because of Hamilton, he had fucked up his life forever. His worldview had been shattered. And at that moment, that was all he could think about – that resignation and bitterness and anger. All along, maybe, he had been nice only because he’d had no reason not to be. Once it didn’t benefit him, and his pride and entitlement were damaged, he showed who he truly was.

It… was an experience, lol. Honestly I think it was partly lost on me because I so loved the original version and was like working myself up ready for a good cry here, so I didn’t get to just sit and take the full impact – I kept searching for a grief or fear that wasn’t there. But I don’t think this version is bad! It’s a very valid interpretation of Burr, and it was extremely fascinating to see unfold.

If I have one critique, it’s that one kind of problem with the whole Australian show is that the performances lacked grit. I really wanted more edge, more aggression, more intensity of those emotions – something more sharp and shocking. Hamilton delivers this kind of thing at times, especially early on, but ofc it fades away in the end. Jefferson, as I’ll get to, is too smooth-talking while also having that cold serene kind of anger. When we lack both Hamilton’s broken It’s Quiet Uptown and Burr’s frantic ‘this man will not make an orphan of my daughter’, we don’t get those life and death stakes quite as highly. By focusing all of Burr’s anger in one line, I think the rest of the songs didn’t have as much of an impact as I’d like.

But!! I really enjoyed this interpretation, and I’d love to see it again knowing what’s coming!

Eliza

OKAY nobody else is going to get those huge walls of text lmaoooo

Anyway this Eliza wasn’t a super different interpretation than Phillipa Soo’s, but I think she pulled it off at least as well, if not even better?

So, the really big obvious thing about this Eliza is her smile. Her actress has this amazing, big toothy grin that feels so lacking in guile, but also still so comforting. It’s so attention-grabbing and almost impossible not to be affected by. It just screams ‘hey, things will turn out okay, so cheer up! :)’ And it’s something that just comes out on Eliza as if on instinct – she’s wearing it through most of That Would Be Enough, and at the end of Take A Break when she escorts Angelica away, and even in Blow You All Away when she’s comforting Phillip or in flickers when describing Hamilton’s old letters in Burn.

The thing about Eliza as a character is that she’s basically defined by her emotional intelligence. She feels as strongly as Hamilton, but where he is uncontrolled and reckless and both self and other destructive, she is the opposite of all of those things. She’s measured and practical and knows exactly who she is and what she wants at all times. She will sacrifice for others, but it’s because she decides to, and if she is hurt, she will not keep herself in harm’s way. It’s an interesting kind of competence and I can understand in theory why it’s cool to have a female character like that even if I, as a neurodivergent mentally ill woman cannot relate in the slightest and feel sorta awkward to be judged against.

This Eliza nails all of that perfectly. She’s effortlessly charming and soothing whenever she wants to be – in That Would Be Enough, when Hamilton is turned away and putting up all of his sharpest bristles, you can feel her become something soft and liquid and find her way up against him regardless without getting hurt. It’s that strength of character that makes their relationship really work – it’s not necessarily that she completely understands him or is good at ‘handling’ him, but that her certainty of purpose and deliberate, skilful compassion make her perfectly suited to calm Hamilton’s deep down insecurities. She loves him entirely and makes him believe that. And when Hamilton responds with his own intensity, she loves that, and believes in that.

And all of that makes it mean so much more when she steps out of that natural mediator role for a moment. In Helpless she’s adorable, so giddy and excited and so clearly crushing on Hamilton with a youthful energy that somehow doesn’t feel all that naive. As she sings she’s constantly glancing back over at him, it’s really cute haha. But she does feel a bit more vulnerable here – it does feel like she’s silently asking for help from Angelica when they talk. More startlingly, there’s Non-Stop – when she calls out ‘Alexander’, it is SHARP. It’s the same kind of tone Hamilton takes when he calls out to Burr in Schuyler Defeated. It’s a bit startling actually, but in a good way.

That tone, I think, foreshadows Burn. Again, I think this Eliza takes the same tone as Philippa Soo, but this version (maybe just because I saw it live!) embodied it even more – she talks about her own desperation to understand, re-reading their old letters, and cites Angelica as back-up, but when she reaches the mid-point, she stops and seems to think. She weighs up the situation and her emotions. And when she says ‘I’m erasing myself from the narrative,’ it is very deliberate and conscious. She is in control of her fate and she can see herself objectively and this is what is just. Her moral core is impenetrable. She sees long arc of the future that Hamilton and Burr are so obsessed with and she says, yes, this is what should be done.

And then in It’s Quiet Uptown, that same self-certainty is there from the very first word. This whole musical, even at her lowest, Eliza has instinctively brought out that comforting, wide smile. Here, her face is expressionless. If Hamilton’s acting here didn’t quite hit my mark, Eliza’s was spot on. The withdrawal of that earlier warmth is all the colder when there is no doubt within her about it, and nobody can argue she’s wrong in that. When she takes Hamilton’s hand, she still doesn’t smile. It’s sad :(

Of all of the final songs, Who Lives Who Dies Who Tells Your Story hit me closest to the original. It’s actually almost jarring to see Eliza ask ‘have I done enough?’ This whole song, we hear a hasty energy to her she’s lacked all musical – the first sign that Hamilton has rubbed off on her, too. But when she asks ‘Will they tell your story?’ it’s still Eliza – this isn’t about a legacy, it’s because she’s still that giddy girl from Helpless who loves him and wants to do everything she can for the people she loves.

(Whenever she and Hamilton see each other but appear to walk past one another, only to circle around and meet in the middle again, I cry lmao;;)

Her gasp at the end is soft and quiet and delighted, as though she just spotted someone in the crowd who she hasn’t seen in years and can’t wait to catch up.

If I have one critique, it’s the lack of grit again. Her scream at Philip’s death wasn’t as wild and destroyed as Phillipa Soo’s, and while I like her gasp, I prefer the original’s shocked, overwhelming joy.

Overall though, she was extremely good! Her charisma was just blinding, but it was in that perfectly ‘mundane’ way you’d expect from Eliza. But that solid, immovable core always shone through. They really sold her relationship with Hamilton, too!

Angelica

This is the one I feel like I have the least to say about. My mum said she was the only character who just couldn’t quite match up to the original, and I don’t really agree, but I don’t have a huge amount to say, either.

This Angelica felt a bit older and more mature than Goldsberry. The original Angelica has a bit of brashness and vivid emotion to her – a bit more out there and exaggerated in her actions and expressions. More bold but also more chaotic. This one was a bit more quiet and considering. Diplomatic, maybe?

I actually worried when I first saw her that she wouldn’t be able to carry Satisfied because she was too confident and capable I wouldn’t be able to believe her vulnerability, but no, she pulled that off perfectly. When she was standing in the dark there in the end, the sadness radiated from her.

I actually got a lot more chemistry between her and Hamilton this time; I always thought I disliked the relationship in that canon because of my grudge against how LMM wrote it, but maybe it’s just that LMM was too old for her lmao. You’d think her quietness would contrast with Hamilton’s pushiness, but if anything it feels like she can just eyebrow-arch off his usual way of getting under people’s skin – when she says ‘you forget yourself’ it’s subtly disapproving, then when he delivers the punchline, it’s like he proves himself enough to earn her respect. Indeed, their mutual aloofness actually suits them both really well. You can just imagine them working together, quietly sharing their judgements on everyone else in the room around them. They’d be a terrifying power couple, and that really connects up to her advice in Take a Break.

I don’t have as much to say about the rest of the musical though. (actually IDK if that’s all partly just because by the end my ADHD brain had to work a lot harder to keep up, lol.) Her piece in The Reynalds Pamphlet did the job, and her singing in It’s Quiet Uptown was beautiful.

I guess, if I had to contrast them, the original Angelica felt more spirited and aggressive – very ‘you want a revolution? I want a revelation!’ - while this one felt more like the settled head of the family who already had her place but understood the world perfectly and knew she’d have to pick and choose what she wanted most. (...spoken like that she sounds like a big contrast to Burr, funnily enough?)

Lafayette/Jefferson

So not too much to say about Lafayette – the guy pretty much did him the same as Daveed Diggs, and pulling that off is very impressive but there isn’t too much to analyse here. If anything the Lafayette felt slightly less bright and cheery than the original, which may have been done to contrast with Jefferson.

Jefferson, on the other hand, was quite different. Diggs’ version is very loud and kinda abrasive and arrogant – always smiling and bouncing but with something clearly malicious lying behind all of that. He’s got a harshness to him, deliberately intimidating and surprisingly authentic in what he reveals of himself. He’s a villain character who’s fun to watch because he’s having fun himself and you gotta admire his balls.

This Jefferson is much more smooth and manipulative – maybe taking over from what Burr sometimes delves into? When he first appears, he plays to the crowd, encouraging the cheers, but it’s less arrogance and more like, he’s a celebrity putting on a show. He’s friendly and cheerful all through What’d I Miss?, disarmingly enjoyable to watch. He’s someone who knows the crowd and likes the crowd and is very very good and getting what he wants from the crowd without making it obvious he’s doing that. He’s definitely the type of #relatable celebrity fans would really want to defend.

But Hamilton represents a very clear change to his status quo. He starts off singing What’d I Miss? just in a fun, conversation-starting way as a rhetorical question, but after Hamilton introduces himself, he seems genuinely taken-aback. His last ‘What’d I miss?’ sounds like a genuine question, like, ‘wait wtf what’s going on here all of a sudden?’

And then we get the Cabinet Battles. Despite the above, Jefferson starts off his argument oozing with relaxed confidence. He doesn’t need to take any of this seriously – it’s already in the bag! Everyone loves him and as long as he makes some nice jokes and smiles disarmingly enough, he’ll always get what he want. And then Hamilton starts talking. And he’s pushy and hostile and sarcastic and mocking and angry and superior. And the whole time, Jefferson stands straight and Stares at him. We get none of Diggs’ ‘Haha, this guy is a riot! :D’ type of energy – this Jefferson is deeply displeased, and he is watching very, very carefully to take stock of the situation so he can put an end to it.

It’s actually really well done IMO – when the crowd oohed and ahhed, it felt like a 50/50 of ‘what the hell, people aren’t supposed to DISAGREE with Jefferson!’ and also ‘holy shit this guy is acting like an actual obnoxious child who needs to stfu right now.’ Both Jefferson’s easy entitlement and Hamilton’s unhelpful abrasiveness really got across.

In the second battle, Jefferson is much more careful. Whether it’s because he isn’t underestimating Hamilton anymore or because he cares much more about this, there’s an unamused urgency underlying everything he says. He still tries to be friendly and charming and diplomatic, but his smile drops often. This issue is important and he is not going to back down on it. It’s actually still not quite as immaturely insulting as Hamilton – more like, ‘can we stop humoring this asshole kid already and do something we very much need to be doing?’

(Also fun fact: in The Room Where It Happens, when we get to Jefferson’s version of events, Hamilton’s ‘I had nowhere else to turn’ is SO fake and sarcastic it was really funny, like even the Hamilton in Jefferson’s head can’t bring himself to actually say that sincerely.)

So, when we get to Washington On Your Side, he’s cold. At the time, he contrasts well with Burr, who is all smiles and surprisingly relaxed. This Jefferson is more like Angelica, quietly analysing the situation and slowly coming to a plan. The difference between cold, planning Jefferson and smooth-talking Jefferson is also great.

Because of all this, he has less of the really comedic stuff the original Jefferson got, with the exaggerated expressions and movements – in We Know, he’s more struck dumb by everything than the more over the top reactions Diggs did. But the controlled coldness contrasts with Hamilton better – it makes sense that he was the one who successfully connived himself to the top. And we get much more of that contrast between public and private Jefferson that is one of the interesting real-world meta statements, where who is was to the people and who he actually was were very different.

…….I think I had some kind of impression of ‘because I’m the president’ but I can’t remember what it was anymore. Hrm.

Anyway: enjoyed!!

Mulligan/Madison

So, how I’ve been saying the show lacked grit? I honestly think it might’ve all just collected in Hercules Mulligan lmao – obviously his parts are meant to be bold and brash and powerful, but these ones hit even harder than usual. His part in The World Turned Upside Down was just so Loud I could feel it in my chest! Great performance, I loved it!

Madison was very very different naturally, but also very different from the original version? While the original Madison felt tired and a bit disgruntled, like he was exhausted by Jefferson’s in-your-faceness and just wanted to get this done so he could get back to his work, his one felt much happier to be there. This Madison felt like he actually saw himself as Jefferson’s teammate, like he considered himself part of the show and was happy (even smug) to be helping out. When Jefferson passes him the microphone, rather than say ‘France’ with an irritated expression as if to say ‘everyone already knows this, just get on with it already’, it feels more like this Madison already rehearsed this with Jefferson deliberately. He calls out ‘France,’ as though it is some incredible zinger, like he’s been given the mic drop here. It’s pretty cute haha!

Overall this Madison felt a lot younger. Talking afterwards my mum mentioned that Mulligan’s role is hard because he has to switch to playing ‘an old man’, and was pretty surprised when I said Madison was actually the same age as Hamilton. This version felt a lot more age-appropriate. He still gets sick and starts coughing (and it feels a lot meaner when Hamilton makes fun of him! The dude was just so happy to be here – let him have his zingers!!), but aside from that he thrums with nervous energy behind Jefferson, like he’s ready to help out anytime he’s needed.

In all, he kinda feels like he fulfils that certain comedic henchman trope a bit? It really comes together with the ‘Can we get back to politics?’ ‘:’( please!!’ exchange. Madison isn’t made fun of, per se – it’s not like he really does enough in the script to get that kind of attention. But he’s just a bit funnier and more sympathetic, while also strangely feeling more like he and Jefferson are an actual team. (I mean, Jefferson hands him the mic as though he’s setting up a zinger, too. They’re both a bit ridiculous!)

Laurens/Phillip

Okay, this was one I was really curious about, for obvious reasons – LMM always sorta made it out that since he never included any of the Hamilton/Laurens stuff in the script, he kinda tried to act it in there more. In Story of Tonight or Ten Duel Commandments, or even briefly in the opening song, there’s meant to be a closeness that hints, however subtle, at that relationship.

Unfortunately, I didn’t get that at all here.

Laurens’ casting surprised me at first – he’s super short and extremely baby-faced, to the point that I wondered if he wasn’t played by a cis man. (His actor is a man, though, though ofc I wouldn’t know if he’s cis or not.) I was kinda confused about that all through the first act… until I got to the second act and, uh, remembered. But despite this – perhaps because of it? - he is an absolute firecracker. He’s hot-headed and rough and determined and every bit the young impassioned soldier.

He’s a bit more naive in the early songs – he seems genuinely friendly with Hamilton in The Story of Tonight, and you feel like he really does just like him from the moment he hears Non-Stop – but like I said, Hamilton is still pretty closed-off through all of that, so… it doesn’t really feel mutual. Hamilton likes him fine, but it doesn’t feel like he cares as much as Laurens does.

In Satisfied, he indeed seems super drunk, but it’s more like he’s just too young and drinking too much at a party than anything. The only time I really felt any particular chemistry between him and Hamilton actually comes from Story of Tonight Reprise – when Hamilton wanders off to speak with Burr, in sincere friendship, and Laurens comes over and starts ribbing Burr about his girl with almost malicious energy, it did sort of feel a little like he was jealous, if only that Hamilton and he had been talking so easily.

Finally, we get to Stay Alive. There, Hamilton and Laurens are just so angry and disgusted with Lee that they don’t really have room for anything else. It’s all very focused and determined and Manly, without any time for something softer or close between them. And I’m not sure how to feel about that. Laurens’ revulsion for Lee is historical record, and it says a lot about him and his values that that was so important to him. But there are other important parts of Laurens – that worry and fear and insecurity inside him, that ended up being so damaging to him. In such a limited script for him, ‘Alexander, you’re the closest friend I’ve got’ is really his one chance to show some of those emotions before he dies. Instead, Laurens never really gets to show that vulnerability, and I worry that it makes him feel too much like a ‘generic soldier character.’

I wonder if it’s because this Laurens looked so youthful that they sort of overcompensated, and felt the need to make him extra manly to make it clear he belonged there despite his appearance. But it sort of felt a bit too… macho for me. Nowhere to be found is that 18th century romantic friendship. Instead, it’s been replaced by a more WWI era Comrade and Comrade type deal. They’d die for each other, but would they write romantic letters to one another? And I think this is also unfortunately pretty Australian – real emotion is lame!! The only acceptable emotion is fucking hating your boss, and challenging him to a duel with your squadmate to get him what he deserves.

Well, I’m reading too much into it all, lol. But I always felt like the original Laurens barely got to show much of himself as it was, and this one felt even less so, unfortunately.

His final scene – is it We May Not Live To See Your Glory? - is done well, though. Again, Laurens just sorta feels like a generic young soldier, but ‘idealistic soldier who died too young’ is moving enough on its own. And in one of those rare moments, Hamilton really does feel shaken and vulnerable. ‘I have so much work to do,’ as I said, hurts – so lifeless and unlike him. Like nothing could process those emotions in him now, or express them.

Philip, on the other hand, is the exact opposite. First of all, yeah – having a shorter, younger-looking actor makes that Take a Break scene WAY less awkward, haha. It wasn’t even funny, it was just like ‘oh huh this just kinda looks all right?’ And the actor did really well playing a kid! He looked like a completely different person there, which is really good.

And then we get to Blow You All Away, and hoo boyy. If Laurens had been excessively confident, Phillip oozes uncertainty with everything he does. When he flirts with the girls ‘when I come back we’ll all strip down to our socks’ he manages to pull off the cocky act but in basically every other line you can see and hear the ‘a-am I doing this right? I’m not screwing this up, am I?’ radiating off of him. He definitely believes he’s doing the right thing – when he says ‘you talk about my father I will not let it slide’ there’s no hesitation – it’s just that he very clearly isn’t sure if he’s up to the task of doing it.

It was sorta interesting, actually – I think the original Phillip was more naively overconfident and reckless, and only had an attack of the nerves after he got himself into the duel. But – and this might just be me projecting here, lol – when this Philip confronts Eacker in the theatre, I got a real sense of like… ‘??? can I do this here? Where are you meant to threaten duels???’ and when Eacker is like ‘piss off, I’m watching this show now’ he seemed to wilt a lot, and straight up froze for a second or two, like he really didn’t know what to do at that point. And then of course when he talks to Hamilton he’s really worried…

And then his death. Somehow, I never used to cry much when this happened – it’s obviously very sad, but it didn’t manage to hit the right heartstrings to make crying, even in the recording. But oh god, this one was just awful… Even as he’s dying, Philip is still just so desperate for approval, like he’s so scared his parents will be mad at him for screwing it up, and Eliza is trying so hard to reassure him before he dies… I cried a lot :(

So overall, I really liked this Phillip, even if I don’t necessarily think it’s an improvement to the original. Laurens I kinda preferred the original, though this was still an interesting interpretation that gave me a lot to think about!

Washington

The guy did well! He has what Washington needs, and that’s a stature. When he’s on stage, your eyes are just naturally drawn to him. Even when he’s not doing much, he’s still a little intimidating. He has presence!

And in fact, this actor had an interesting quirk where the whites of his eyes could be seen easily? In Right-Hand Man, as he’s striding around at the center of the stage, his eyes just looked white, and it drilled in that slightly manic, crazed intensity underlying his strict, rigid rapping and self-control. It have the whole thing a really great effect.

But this Washington also had a sort of almost… slight fem-ness to him, that I didn’t get as much from the initial? It’s funny how during One Last Time, I suddenly got this vivid though, ‘oh, it’s like he’s a cool supportive teacher.’ Which… obviously?? Haha. Like he’s clearly a mentor to Hamilton all the way through! But it’s that specifically teacher description I really felt all of a sudden, that he was warm and approachable and gentle at heart, despite everything I said above lol.

Like, I feel like this Washington was just a bit less stoic than the original? Slightly more expressive and less stern. When he says ‘I’m from Virginia, so watch your mouth,’ in the original, it sounded like he was genuinely kinda offended? It was ‘watch your mouth’ as in ‘don’t disrespect my home state.’ But in this one, Washington sorta grimaces a little theatrically and says it more incredulously, like he’s actually saying ‘you wanna maybe try thinking about who you’re talking to before you say that shit, son?’ It’s more of a warning – less that he’s upset and more that other people would be, so he should really try thinking before he speaks.

He also still does the part in Who Lives Who Dies Who Tells Your Story when Eliza says she spoke out against slavery and he kinda stumbles and stares and then looks down in shame, given the real Washington’s actions.

I liked him! I felt a little more warmly to him in the end than the original, but that might just be a product of seeing it live.

Peggy/Maria

Okay so I don’t really have anything to say about Peggy, which had basically always been the case, hah. :’) I mean, I think this version made the transformation between her initial wariness vs her later excitement more clear? But that is very likely a live show thing.

Maria, though!! Honestly? I was never really a fan of the original Maria’s performance. She just feels too much like a cliched seductress archetype, and while you can argue that that’s the role she plays in the story, especially since there’s the uncertainty over whether or not she was deliberately setting Hamilton up, it just feels too on the nose. It makes it harder to believe Hamilton didn’t know what was up the moment he saw her, which I don’t think is intentional. And it makes me feel bad for the real Maria Reynolds.

But this one was very different – much more vulnerable. When she first talks to Hamilton, she’s not doing a sexy pout and throaty singing, she’s just sorta… quiet and monotone and lost, much like Hamilton gets when he’s too emotional as well. Like she’s in shock and truly has nowhere to go is just sort of crumpling as a person. And when she propositions Hamilton, again it feels sincere – she just wants him to stay.

And after he talks to James Reynolds (just as perfectly, theatrically assholish as in the original), that continues. When he confronts her, she genuinely seems desperate and scared and upset. I felt so, so sorry for her that I was yelling in my head right then ‘you can’t just leave her now!’ at Hamilton – and then immediately remembered what that’d mean… it’s a much more gripping situation.

And then in the end, James Reynolds walks off and claps, and Maria just stops, face and body entirely stoic, and follows after him in silence… Is that an indication it was all an act from her? Or is it that she’s so scared of him that she totally closes up and can’t cry, can’t show any kind of emotion or weakness around him, and just has to try and be a silent and flawless wife? No matter how you interpret it, it’s chilling.

Oh, and IDK if this is done in the recording, but in The Reynolds Pamphlet, she gets given one, too, and her look of just… upset/disgust is also really painful. At the end they say ‘his poor wife’, but who thinks about poor Maria?? :(

I still wouldn’t say that this is an accurate adaptation of the real events, since I think that gets right into the script and structure of Hamilton in ways that a regional performance just can’t really make better. But this version is at least better. It plays Maria with more dignity, I think, than making her into a sexy bombshell, even if that bombshell act does get subverted in the original as well. This one feels significantly more sympathetic.

King George

He was great!! He was played by an older actor who seems to have done a lot of serious Shakespearian plays, which of course makes him absolutely perfect – both in that he could flawlessly depict that pompous old privileged Brit, but also in that he probably has a good backing in comedy and political satire :P He was clearly having the time of his life playing to the crowd – throughout all his time on stage he was constantly alternating between doing one or two lines very serious and mostly straight, before doing something absolutely hilarious. That back and forth worked extremely well!

Also I never saw it properly on the recording but when he gets up and dances in the middle of the stage during the Reynolds Pamphlet?? AMAZING.

Obviously, Johnathon Groff is his own personality and is friends with LMM and brings all of that unique stuff to the table that nobody could replicate. But this actor was just as much fun to watch, and does have the added benefit of really looking and sounding the part.

Final Thoughts

I’d really love to hear other people’s thoughts on this run, especially from the perspective of it being an Australian cast/audience – I really hoped the booklet would include at least a piece or two from someone who worked on this run, but it did not. (In fact, it was one of the scantest musical books I’ve seen? I don’t regret buying it as a souvenir of course but usually they have at least one or two interesting pieces of new content aside from just backstage pics…)

What really sticks out to me is the structure of it all. Hamilton is definitely the central character that brings everything together through the first ¾, but around The Room Where it Happens Burr starts to take over bit by bit, allowing him to keep up the energy as Hamilton falls back further and further into becoming both less of a hero but also more quiet and passive. By The Election of 1800, Burr is giving us all the energy – until the end of The World Was Wide Enough, when he too falls back and Eliza takes over.

Given this, this Hamilton did an incredible job throughout most of the performance – he had amazing chemistry with every other character and really exemplified that scrappy, intelligent, driven, but aggressive and difficult character that never quite shined through in LMM’s performance for me. Burr’s more subtle performance complements that well, and he even arguably outdoes Leslie Odom Junior in The Election of 1800. However, after that I think his quieter acting and singing sort of fails to fill the hole Hamilton left behind, reducing the climax a bit of its energy. Thankfully, Eliza was able to bring that all back for her final number.

It also strikes me that this performance is a bit less teary, at least from the men. Eliza, Angelica, and Maria all bring out that vulnerability and the sadness of their positions wonderfully – a great improvement in Maria’s case, for me. However, Burr’s The World Was Wide Enough severely downplays the sincere regret angle, while Hamilton never quite hits the right notes on It’s Quiet Uptown. However, Hurricane and Phillip’s performance in Blow You All Away definitely hit that fear and panic leading to self-destruction. (Interesting I guess that Burr doesn’t also seem more fearful in The World Was Wide Enough?) Is that also a gendered expectations thing, perhaps?

Either way, I’m extremely glad I was able to see it if only for Hamilton’s performance – honestly, maybe the reason it seemed to lose a lil steam was just that Hurricane was so good everything else failed to follow it, haha. Burr also absolutely fascinated me here, too, and that was so much fun to see play out in real time!

Hamilton will be coming to Melbourne next, and I’m not sure yet if I’ll be able to go there but I’d really like to! It’d be really fun to test out these expectations/conclusions of mine with a fresh viewing, as well as see any other new cast changes/interpretations…!

#Hamilton #Hamilton Sydney #musical #this is INCREDIBLY long lmfao #IDK if I should apologise or the opposite #I miiiight end up xposting to ao3 as well as a meta #if I can be bothered to read it through and edit it a bit maybe heh

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the-seas-song · 4 years ago

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Disney’s Leo Princesses: Rapunzel, Anna, Elena, and Moana

Controversial title, isn't it? Oh well, I'm a Leo. 😉

As a Leo, I'm well aware the general perception of us is based on our unhealthy and immature traits. That's why I'm overjoyed that Disney has created these four incredible Leo princesses.

Before I explain why these four princesses are Leos, you should know what a healthy Leo is like.

In Astrology, there are twelve different sun signs, which are the most well known. There is much more to natal astrology than this, but because we're dealing with fictional characters, we're only looking at the sun signs.

Your sun sign represents your core identity. Just like the physical sun is the center of the solar system and its energy creates life, the astrological sun is our consciousness and life force. Each of the twelve sun signs are ruled by a different planet and element.

There are four elements (fire, water, earth, air) and three different signs belong to the same element. For example, the fire signs are Aries, Leo, and Sagittarius. They share the general traits of fire – warm and passionate – but still differ greatly from each other.

That's because of something called the modalities. They define each signs' purpose, and are called cardinal, fixed, and mutable. Cardinal signs always come first, they are the initiators and take place when the four seasons begin (Aries is the cardinal fire sign). The fixed signs don't deal with change, they stabilize. They take place when each season is in full bloom (Leo is the fixed fire sign). Last but not least, the mutable signs come last, and are known for the ability to adapt (Sagittarius is the mutable fire sign). Cardinal signs are the metaphorical spring, Fixed signs' summer, and Mutable signs the metaphorical fall.

Since Leo is the fixed fire sign, we don't inherit the reckless and impulsive nature of fire, but instead are a steady flame. No sign is more reckless and impulsive than Aries, because they have the double combination of being a cardinal sign and a fire sign. Meanwhile, all four of the fixed signs struggle with stubbornness and admitting when their wrong.

Leo's are well known to be natural leaders and the rulers of the zodiac. We are ruled by the sun and our animal is the lion. We dream big and are born with big personalities, and we can't help but be theatrical and dramatic. This means we are always self-centered in the sense of being strong-willed and having a strong sense of self. It does not mean all Leos are egotistical.

Unhealthy Leo traits all revolve around the ego: attention-seeking, egotistical, selfish, bossy, controlling, pushy, jealous, possessive, lazy, vain, arrogant, aggressive, and obstinate.

Healthy Leos, however, are known for our fire-based traits – being animated, theatrical, happy, outgoing, independent, competitive, charismatic, creative, open-minded, open-hearted, confident, assertive, playful, warm, social, courageous, idealistic, affectionate, romantic, optimistic, and adventurous.

What isn't often talked about is our steadiness, our fixed-based traits. Leos are authentic, steadfast, fiercely loyal and protective, consistent, persistent, full-hearted, dedicated, need to do their best, generous and selfless, honorable and moral, genuine and direct, extremely supportive, hard-working and responsible, dignified, strong-willed, and ambitious and determined.

Something that is often mentioned but highly misunderstood is our trait of courage. Having courage doesn't mean you're fearless or reckless. The definition of courage is “the power or quality of dealing with or facing danger, fear, pain, etc.” It means that instead of running away from our problems or denying our emotions; healthy Leos face them and be genuine and direct with ourselves, embracing our vulnerability.

Having a big personality doesn't necessarily mean someone has a big ego. C.S. Lewis once said, “Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it's thinking of yourself less.” Leos have huge hearts and are incredibly generous. The sun never goes retrograde, always shines, and gives life and energy to all living beings – it isn't selective or discriminatory. Healthy Leos are like mini suns; which is why we are also irrepressibly upbeat, optimistic, and fun-loving.

We're not pushovers. We are like roses – we have both flower petals and thorns. If you mess with someone we love you're going down. We're too loyal and protective to let major things slide; and even if we forgive, we never forget. Little things? We'll try to work them out with you.

Being naturally strong-willed and assertive is healthy – it just means we usually make horrible subordinates and yes people. There's nothing wrong with having high standards and being open about them. In fact, in relationships it's far better in the long run to open and frank about what you need and what you consider a dealbreaker from the beginning.

And oh yes are we ambitious and competitive – but most often with ourselves. We're natural leaders who always dream and think big. For a healthy Leo it's not about being the best, but doing your best. We have to be grand and intense, we're ruled by the sun. It's all or nothing for us. Settling is not something a Leo does. We need to be the best leader, the best friend, the best partner, etc. that we possibly can.

… Look, we're a lot. Not everyone is compatible with a persistent and direct ball of affectionate energy, and that's totally fine. Our strong-willed affection means we can accidentally be nosy and pushy and overwhelming. If you're genuine and direct with us and tell us you need personal space, we'll (try to) back off.

Also, in astrology each sign rules a different body part, and Leo rules the heart and upper back. Our official flower is the sunflower, but daisies and dandelions are also associated with the sun, and thus the Leo sign.

Now, on to the Princesses!

Rapunzel

Before we begin, I just want to say that there will be spoilers for the Tangled TV Series here. If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend it!

Rapunzel doesn't start out overtly confident and direct like most Leos because she has emotionally abused and gaslighted by Gothel for her entire life. We see clearly in their interactions at the beginning of the film that Gothel psychologically punishes Rapunzel if she is anything other than nice and obedient. Gothel has also convinced Rapunzel that it's her fault if anyone gets upset with her or anything bad happens. We see this when Rapunzel apologizes to Eugene when they are trapped in the cave, and again when Eugene is dying at the end of the film.

All of this has resulted in Rapunzel having a tendency to people please and give in when people get upset with her (when Gothel loses her temper and shouts, Rapunzel pulls back in obvious fear; and she is nervous Eugene will freak out on her when she opens up about her hair). This is not natural Leo behavior, and as Rapunzel heals and grows throughout the film and tv series, she consistently becomes more assertive and direct.

A quick note on terminology – there is a fundamental difference between being nice and being kind. Kind means “having or showing a friendly, generous, sympathetic, or warm-hearted nature” (source) and nice means “pleasing and agreeable in nature” (source).

Niceness is about externally being pleasing or agreeable and not making a fuss. Kindness comes from within and is authentic. There is a similar difference between being dutiful and being responsible. We see Rapunzel's journey with these different values throughout the tv series.

However, despite the extreme emotional and psychological abuse Rapunzel has survived, there are still many subtle moments in the film that show Rapunzel's inner Leo. When Will My Life Begin? shows us her creative and proactive energy, and the reprise confirms that her birthday is in the summer (“summer breeze”).

When Flynn enters the tower we see Rapunzel's fear and belief in Gothel's lies (pointy teeth), but even though Gothel has brainwashed her into believing that she's fragile and incapable of handling things on her own, Rapunzel still has the courage to be direct and interrogate Flynn, which she does in a dramatic way. She not only has the courage to go with her instinct that he's telling the truth, she ignores him when he says trusting him is a horrible idea. She gives him an ultimatum and (adorably) intimidates him; and her passionate statement about never breaking her promises, ever, show the loyal, honorable, and responsible part of Leos.

When Flynn uses her guilt to try to get out of the deal, Rapunzel does not hesitate to declare that she is seeing the lanterns, thank you very much; and that she will use her frying pan on him, thank you very much. Flynn may be the guide, but there is no question that Rapunzel is the one in charge.

While she is obviously terrified of the Pub Thugs at first, Rapunzel still has the courage to demand they give Flynn back and find their humanity. She shows her open-mindedness and open-heartedness in response to them opening up about their dreams.

Because it's not that Rapunzel is naïve. All Gothel ever spoke about was how the world, and the people in it, are inherently selfish and untrustworthy. But Rapunzel defies that lifelong programming to make her dream a reality and see the good in people. This is a conscious action of courage she makes time and time again throughout the film.

Eugene appears in the tunnel. Both he and Rapunzel are surprised she had it in her to deal with the Pub Thugs like that (“That was pretty impressive.” “I know!”), and he is never condescending to her again. It is his genuineness and emotional honesty (two traits healthy Leos have and value a lot) about his name that prompts her the tell the truth about her hair. She sees his inner goodness, and is the only person to ever be interested in the real him. From this point on Flynn is gone for good.

When Max finds them Rapunzel is once again assertive and direct, ordering him to let Eugene go. She is assertive when she orders him to sit and drop the boot, and her natural open-heartedness and authentic charm wins Max over immediately. Then, without being manipulative, Rapunzel uses her honesty and charm to convince Max to agree to her deal.

Near the end of the film, Rapunzel realizes she's the Lost Princess. The final memory she sees is her putting the crown on her head, symbolizing her enlightenment. It is a true Leo Princess that confronts and stands up to Gothel: “NO! You were wrong about the world. And you were wrong about me. And I will never let you use my hair again!”

The TV Series starts six months after her return to her parents and Corona. The main plot of the series revolves around the return of her hair, and the meaning of the sundrop and moonstone. However, her emotional journey and trials of becoming a ruler are directly entwined with the plot.

Throughout the three seasons, we see many more nuances of Rapunzel's Leo personality (for a much more detailed analysis see here). This is what other characters in the show say about Rapunzel's personality:

Her parents: free spirit and hopeful optimism, sentimental, determined, strong, thoughtful, responsible, brave and independent.

Eugene: puts her own touch on everything she does (“Rapunzelocity”), has “unique and artful” ideas, takes chances, shakes things up, lives every second to the fullest, never runs and hides from a fight.

Cassandra: schmaltz, never gives up, fights with everything she has, irrepressible carefree spirit.

Lance: irrepressible.

Monty: noble, free spirit, total disregard for tradition, to heck with it attitude.

Vex: annoying, naïve, “insists the glass is half full even when its obviously bone dry.”

Rapunzel is an upbeat, outgoing, creative, passionate, and strong-willed person. She needs these traits to be a successful leader and eventual Queen. However, the flip-side of those traits means that Rapunzel struggles with admitting her negative emotions, listening when people tell her not to do something, accepting advice, accepting that she sometimes has bad ideas, and generally being too bossy.

The thing is, though, Rapunzel is the boss. It is made clear in the first season that since Arianna married into the Corona Royal Family, Fredrick has all of the final decision making power. She can't overturn his edicts. Eugene will fulfill the same role Arianna does when he becomes Prince Consort.

Rapunzel's relationships with Eugene and Cassandra fall into a very gray area because on one hand they are her boyfriend and best friend; and on the other hand she is their superior. Throughout all three seasons Rapunzel makes the final decisions, especially when they're in a difficult situation. This definitely can be a very difficult situation for them to balance – it is the main source of conflict between Rapunzel and Cassandra.

However, Eugene is very comfortable with it. While Rapunzel didn't make him change, he has changed dramatically, and it's all because of her. While he's her main source of support and is comfortable voicing his opinions with her, he also tells her things are her call a lot, and often smiles during her decision-making and headstrong moments. She completely reshaped his world, and he loves her for it!

Many of his quotes reflect this: “In fact I'd probably still be out there cheating and stealing if it weren't for – wait a minute, that's it!” “It's like you're afraid to be you. And I miss you.” “Two years ago, I'd call fighting jackal-monsters on the back of a speeding carriage whilst a rhinoceros chases the woman I love absolutely bonkers. Now I call it Tuesday.” “I do have faith. I've always had faith in Rapunzel.” and “I don't know. But I've always believed in us. I've always believed in you.”

Excuse me while I cry over how perfect they are together...

...Okay, I'm back! There is a wonderful and hilarious season 3 episode that shows the Leo brand of assertive and dramatic audacity, and I love it so much, I just have to talk about it.

The King and Queen of Hearts

Rapunzel's parents' memories have been wiped, and she's determined to help them fall in love again. Her dad decides to move out of his room with Arianna and bunk with Eugene:

Fredrick: “If you don't mind, I'd like to be alone for the time being.”

Rapunzel: “Of course dad. I understand.”

Eugene: “Wait a minute, now now hang on -” Rapunzel pushes him from the room and closes the door. “But this is my room! I mean technically he's the king, so they're all his rooms, but still -”

Rapunzel: “Eugene, focus! We have got a match to make! A match that will spark the flames of romance. In a romance that will burn brightly for all to see! Like, the sun! Burning in the heavens! Which all can see!” Eugene drags her away as she passionately monologues.

The scene switches. Rapunzel is giving a presentation to Eugene, Pascal, Max, Lance, Angry, and Catalina. Pascal hands out the itineraries.

Rapunzel: “The Kingdom of Corona is in crisis. Pascal will give each of you a copy of my comprehensive plan to save it.”

Lance: “Operation Royal Romance? Uh, this is about setting your folks up on a date? You said the fate of the kingdom is at stake.”

Rapunzel: “Oh, it is Lance. If the king and queen fall apart, other couples will follow their lead, and soon, all of Corona society will crumble. And you know what they say. As does Corona, so… goes… the world. Do you want that to happen, Lance?” she kicks her presentation chart to the ground. “Do you?!”

Everyone else is terrified. Lance exclaims, “No! No no no I don't want no no.”

Suddenly cheerful again, Rapunzel declares, “That's the spirit! Okay! There's no reason we can't teach these lovebirds to fly again. And nothing is gonna stand in our way!”

Later, she insists on taking her mom out.

Arianna: “Rapunzel, where are we going?”

Rapunzel: “Oh, I just thought you might enjoy a ride through the forest.” Max and Fidella are decked out in pink daisies. “Dad? Dad's here?! What are the chances?!”

She tells her parents to go on a ride together and when Fredrick hesitates, she sternly tells him “Do it.” He does it.

However, he is hit with a tree branch and falls off Max. Rapunzel has been spying on them, and tells Eugene, “Oh! That looks bad. Excuse me, I better jump in.”

The rest of her date ideas also fail. That night, when Lance is steering the boat for her parents' romantic boat ride, he starts asking for tips. Rapunzel sees this from the dock and uses her hair to take his tip jar out of his hand, and then shakes her finger sternly at him.

The situation worsens when King Trevor arrives and invites Arianna to go sea-serpent watching the next day.

Rapunzel interrupts their conversation. “Um, excuse me. King Trevor, may I speak with you a moment? In private?” As soon as they leave the room she knocks him out with her frying pan. He wakes tied to a chair with her hair, just like Eugene did in the film.

Rapunzel: “You are not fooling anyone, buster. You've come to woo my mother. Well, I've got bad news for you. There will be no wooing of any kind.” She gets in his face with her frying pan. “This is a no woo zone. Not while this princess is princess-ing.”

Trevor: “It's true. Long ago, I was naïve enough to think that I could woo fair Arianna. But she remains married to Fredrick, and I respect the institution of marriage too much! Inter-Kingdom law demands that I do.”

Rapunzel is still suspicious, “Alright. But I'm watching you.”

The next day, Rapunzel can't stop thinking (or talking) about her mom and Trevor. She realizes his plan and goes to stop him from trying to marry Arianna. Of course, Arianna is loyal to her family and doesn't need saving.

… I just, I can't with this episode. It's too hilarious. Rapunzel seriously knocks out another kingdom's monarch with her frying pan! She has no tolerance for the situation and she's not afraid to show it!

Now for Rapunzel's Leo symbolism.

Let's start with the obvious – it's impossible to talk about Rapunzel without talking about the Sundrop Flower. The Sundrop Flower is a magical flower created from a drop of sunlight that fell to the earth. It could heal anything, even natural aging. While the magical power of the Sundrop is contained in Rapunzel's hair, Rapunzel herself is the personification of the sun.

Rapunzel is the Crown Princess of Corona. Corona's emblem is the sun and it's official color is purple. Historically, purple is the color of royalty and 'corona' is Latin for 'crown' (see here).

It is canon that Rapunzel's birthday is in the summer because when she is singing the reprise of When Will My Life Begin?she mentions the “summer breeze.”

In the TV series, one of Eugene's main nicknames for her is sunshine. In the film, Gothel also indirectly calls her a ray of sunshine: “The world is dark and selfish and cruel. If it finds even the slightest ray of sunshine, it destroys it!”

This is the extent of her symbolism directly associated with the sun. However, daisy flower symbolism is also connected directly to sun, which makes it a Leo symbol.

The etymology of daisy is “day's eye” because the petals open at dawn and close at dusk (source). Daisies generally symbolize new hope and new beginnings. However, since different colors have different meanings, white daisies also symbolize innocence and purity, yellow hope and happiness, pink love and femininity, and purple royalty and thoughtfulness (source, source, and source).

Rapunzel has a lot of important daisy symbolism. In the film, Big Nose offers her a white daisy when he sings, “I really want to make a love connection.” This symbolizes the innocence and purity of his dream. Then, after Rapunzel returns to the tower, the last flower Gothel removes from her hair is a purple daisy, as she says, “There, it never happened.” This obviously symbolizes Gothel stealing both Rapunzel's freedom and royal identity.

In the tv series, Rapunzel wears a white daisy in her hair whenever she wears her season one outfit and on the Rapunzel wigs Eugene makes in Challenge of the Brave (it is also included in almost all of her season one merch). When she wears her winter outfit in Queen for a Day, there is a pink daisy on her earmuff band. There is also a pink daisy on Monty's Gopher Grab winner's ribbon.

When the series got renamed as “Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure” for the second and third seasons, the new logo contained white, pink, and purple daisies in Rapunzel's hair. Her adventure bag has a pink and a white daisy on it. In the season 2 episode Freebird Rapunzel uses pinkish purple daises to make flower crowns for her and Cass.

In the season three intro, Rapunzel has a vase full of flowers on her desk, which include a sunflower (the official Leo flower) and a purple daisy. At the end of the first episode of season three, Rapunzel appears in her new season three outfit, for the song “Stronger Than Ever Before.” She is now the acting Queen because her parents memories have been wiped, and the song starts with this picture:

Rapunzel plucks the purple daisy and puts it in her hair, right above a pink daisy (she also draws pink daisies in her chalk drawing during the song). She wears these two daisies throughout season three. The only exception is when she is in her nightgown, then she's wearing a pink and a white daisy.

Rapunzel wearing a white daisy in the first season symbolizes her innocence as she explores and adjusts to her new life. In the third season, Rapunzel has already grown into herself as a leader and queen; so the purple and pink daisies symbolize her growth, with the purple daisy as her royal 'crown' (also, her main outfits are always a combination of purple and pink).

In Tangled Ever After, the flowers Pascal are throwing are purple, yellow, and white daisies.

In the game Disney Emoji Blitz, Rapunzel's blonde haired emojis contain white, pink, and purple daisies.

Anna

Now, I know calling Anna a Leo is extremely controversial!

Why? Because Jennifer Lee, who is one of the co-directors and co-writers for the Frozen films, said that Elsa was born on the Winter Solstice (December 21) and Anna on the Summer Solstice (June 21). Astrologically and personality wise, this is perfect for Elsa. She definitely fits the earth sign Capricorn.

The same cannot be said for Anna. The Summer Solstice is aligned with the water sign Cancer. Anna is clearly a fire sign, her personality leaves no room for doubt. She has none of the personality traits of a Cancer. What's more, not only does she have the personality of a Leo, the plot revolves around her understanding of the heart (the Leo body part) and she is decked out in one of the main Leo symbols (the sunflower).

Because Anna is the second child, she wasn't given the training and responsibilities Elsa received growing up. However, those skills aren't what's truly important. In Frozen Anna spends her whole childhood refusing to give up on Elsa. After Elsa runs away, Anna naturally takes charge and responsibility, telling everyone, “It was an accident. She was scared. She didn't mean it! She didn't mean any of this! Tonight was my fault. I pushed her, so I'm the one that needs to go after her. Bring me my horse! I'll bring her back and I'll make this right.” Spoken like a true Leo Queen.

Anna refuses to listen to anyone's doubts – she knows Elsa is good, and nothing anyone says will change her mind. And while Anna was wrong about Hans, the whole point of the plot is that she was right about true love. “An act of true love will thaw a frozen heart.” Anna's ability to love unconditionally is what saves Elsa; and both Elsa and Kristoff learn to be less cynical and embrace love. (Anna to Elsa: “I knew you could do it.”)

In Frozen Fever, Anna is mature, selfless, and protective. She worries the entire time about Elsa’s health, saves Elsa again, and says the best birthday present was Elsa letting Anna take care of her. In Olaf’s Frozen Adventure, Anna takes the lead and starts looking for a family tradition so she and Elsa can celebrate together.

In Frozen 2, Anna will literally follow Elsa into fire, and scold her afterwards for being reckless. Anna tamed the earth spirit because she is that side (physical, 'ordinary’) of the bridge. She and the earth spirit completed the journey, made things right, and balance was reset. She saved everyone again, which Elsa rightfully tells her. Anna is the true Queen of Arendelle, and the end of her character arc was her overcoming her childhood abandonment by standing on her own two feet (literally) and trusting herself.

Anna's leadership and heart is what saves the day in both films. Elsa: “Lost me? You saved me. Again.” “You did what was right, for everyone.”

Now, the sunflower symbolism. Aside from being the official Leo flower, sunflowers only bloom in mid to late summer. Frozen Fever is all about Anna's birthday, and sunflowers are literally everywhere. They are the cake design, the pattern on the tablecloths, the chairs, the banners, the balloons; the pattern on Anna's dress, on the back of her vest, her hair clip, bouquet, scarf, cloak, and on the headdress thing (I couldn't find it's correct name online).

Why all the sunflowers? We know from the first film that Arendelle's emblem is the crocus flower, so they don't represent the country. They also appear on almost all Anna merchandise based on Frozen Fever. Ergo, they represent Anna.

Elena

Elena is from the TV show appropriately titled, Elena of Avalor. It is a wonderful show and there are many moments that show her Leo personality. However, I don't want to spoil the plot for anyone, so I'm only going to go over the first episode and a few other telling moments. I'm not going to summarize the general plot because it has a lot of (wonderful!) lore; I'm just going to tell you about Elena.

Elena is sixteen and the crown princess. Her parents have died; but her maternal grandparents, little sister, and older cousin are still alive. The first episode starts with Elena excited to be crowned Queen. She begins the day of her coronation by giving her little sister Isabel a thoughtful gift and racing her to breakfast. Unfortunately for Elena, she finds out at breakfast that she's not being coronated Queen, but Crown Princess. She must have a Grand Council to help her rule Avalor, and approve her major decisions, until she comes of age.

Elena is not pleased. She insists she is ready to rule, and her grandfather says that is why she is not ready to rule yet. Determined to prove herself, Elena arranges to meet with the city leaders and make sure they have what they need (singing, “I'll take charge like the leader I know I can be and take care of all those who are counting on me”).

While she is talking to the Harbor Master, it is reported that three ships have been stolen that day. Elena declares that they need to start searching immediately and that she'll lead the search. She gets told she has to keep her appointments and let the navy handle it. She reluctantly agrees, and Isabel stays behind with a guard so she can draw the dock.

Isabel and Gabe, her guard, end up on the next stolen boat. Elena leaves immediately to find them, disregarding all protests. She also dismisses her advisor Zuzo's attempt to give advice. Isabel has the great idea to leave Elena a trail of paper pieces down the rivers. Once they arrive, Elena refuses to wait and strategize before going in. A fight breaks out, and now that Isabel is safe, Elena refuses to leave because “it's [her] job to protect everyone!” Poor Gabe. Unfortunately, the fight doesn't go Elena's way.

Zuzo asks if she's ready to listen, and she says yes. He helps her see that her rushing around trying to prove herself had gone “not so well” and asks her to think about why the magical creatures had stolen the ships in the first place. Elena realizes her mistakes, “I was so busy trying to prove I could be a great queen, I forgot to act like one.” She may not be ready to rule, but she is ready to learn. After talking to the leader of the magical creatures she finds out they are just trying to get home, so she helps them.

That night at the coronation, Elena tells everyone, “Today I set out to prove that I was ready to be Queen of Avalor and I learned that I have a lot to learn before I become Queen.” She then appoints her Grand Council and vows “to protect and defend the Kingdom of Avalor as Crown Princess.”

Later in the first season, Elena attends a Royal Retreat that is made up of only Kings. After getting hazed by the arrogant King Hector, Elena has had enough when a problem arises. Breaking from the group, she declares, “I don't need to be one of the Kings, I am going to be Queen.”

Then in the season 3 episode Shooting Stars, we learn that while Elena has had significant doubts and not known what to do before, self-doubt is a new emotion for her.

Overall, the plot of the series revolves around Elena's journey as she experiences the challenges of ruling and being a ruler.

As we can see from these examples, Elena is loving, generous, honorable, and protective. As a natural leader she genuinely has a strong need to take care of and protect her people and kingdom as well as her personal loved ones. While she is never arrogant, she can sometimes be overconfident and impatient, with a need to do and help. Holding herself back and not immediately going into protective lioness mode and jumping into action is a significant struggle for her; especially when her emotions are involved or someone she loves is in danger. Another theme of the series is her learning to rely on others and take their advice. All of these traits make her a well rounded Leo character.

Elena doesn't have any direct Leo symbolism; however, she does wield the magical Scepter of Light. Also, the show premiered on July 22, 2016, the day before Leo season began; and the final episode aired August 23, 2020, the day after Leo season ended.

Moana

Practically all of Moana's lines illustrate her Leo personality, so I'm only going to go over her most defining Leo moments.

During Where You Are, Tala sings, “You are your father's daughter/Stubbornness and pride/Mind what he says but remember/You may hear a voice inside/And if the voice starts to whisper/To follow the farthest star/Moana, that voice inside is who you are.”

You can't get anymore Leo than this! Gramma Tala is encouraging Moana not to get trapped in the pitfalls of ego and listen to her inner self.

Because like any Leo, Moana has a strong sense of self. She has been drawn to the ocean her entire life. And yet, at the same time, she loves her family and people deeply. This dichotomy is her main inner conflict.

After Tui shows her the Chiefs' stone pile, Moana genuinely tries to forget the ocean; and we see that leadership doescome naturally to her. We also see that she's intelligent and thinks well on her feet. After watching her successfully solve another problem, Tui tells her, “This suits you.”

But then comes a problem that can't be easily fixed. There are no fish in the lagoon anymore.

Moana: “What if we fished beyond the reef?”

Tui: “No one goes beyond the reef.”

Moana: “I know. But if there are no fish in the lagoon -”

Tui: “Moana!”

Moana: “- and there's a whole ocean...”

Tui: “We have one rule.”

Moana: “An old rule, when there were fish.”

Tui: “A rule that keeps us safe!”

Moana: “But dad -”

Tui: “Instead of endangering our people so you can run right back to the water! Every time I think you're past this. No one goes beyond the reef!”

While Moana still feels her connection to the ocean, she only brought it up in an attempt to help their people.

In How Far I'll Go, she sings, “I wish I could be the perfect daughter/But I come back to the water, no matter how hard I try”

and: “I know everybody on this island has a role, on this island/So maybe I can roll with mine/I can lead with pride, I can make us strong/I'll be satisfied if I play along/But the voice inside sings a different song/What is wrong with me?”

Moana isn't worried about her leadership capabilities. She's despairing because no matter how well she does at it, it will not make her happy.

When Tala shows Moana the boats, and explains the story of their ancestors, she gives Moana a solution to her conflict:

Tala: “To protect our people, the ancient chiefs forbid voyaging. And now, we have forgotten who we are. And the darkness has continue to spread. Chasing away our fish, draining the life from island after island.” she shows Moana a dead area.

Moana: “Our island.”

Tala: “But one day, someone will journey beyond our reef, find Maui, deliver him across the great ocean to restore the heart of Te Fiti.” she gives Moana the heart. “I was there that day. The ocean chose you.” The ocean rises to look at Moana.

Moana: “I thought it was a dream.”

Tala: “Nope! Our ancestors believed Maui lies there at the bottom of his hook. Follow it and you will find him.”

Moana: “But... Why would it choose me? I don't even know how to make it past the reef.” she thinks of her dad. “But I know who does!”

During her subsequent fight with Tui, Moana declares, “You told me to help our people! This is how we can help our people.”

For the first time, both sides of Moana are in alignment. However, Tala's collapse interrupts the argument.

Gramma Tala: “Go.”

Moana: “Not now. I can't.”

Gramma Tala: “You must. The ocean chose you. Follow the fish hook.”

Moana: “Grandma.”

Gramma Tala: “And when you find Maui, you grab him by the ear. You say... I am Moana of Motunui. You will board my boat, sail across the sea, and restore the heart of Te Fiti.”

Moana: “I... I can't leave you.”

Gramma Tala: “There is nowhere you could go that I won't be with you. Go.”

Moana goes.

Moana's faith in her beloved grandmother is the main force driving her. She doesn't know why the ocean chose her, it's Tala's certainty that gives her her confidence in her mission. And by accepting it, she accepts herself: “Every turn I take, every trail I track/Is a choice I make, now I can't turn back/From the great unknown where I go alone/Where I long to be”

Moana has a temper, and she expresses it in the class Leo way: bossy and direct. When her boat gets wrecked, she stomps down to the ocean, shouting, “Um, what?! I said help me! And wrecking my boat?! Not helping!” she tries to kick the water but the ocean moves back and she falls. “Fish pee in you! All day! So!” she growls.

Then, while she has been extremely nervous about meeting Maui, his talking over her and patronizing manner quickly irritate her. She loses her temper when he says, “I know, not every day you get a chance to meet your hero.”

Moana instinctively reacts by smacking him in the stomach with her oar and grabbing his ear, declaring, “You are not my hero. And I'm not here so you can sign my oar! I'm here because you stole the heart of Te Fiti! And you will board my boat, sail across the sea, and put it back!”

Maui is stunned that she has the audacity to whap 'the great demigod,' but Moana doesn't care. During their journey she continually talks back to and defies him, not giving an inch, in their battle for dominance. The ocean helps her, and Maui eventually folds.

On a serious note, the weight of her responsibilities continue to weigh heavily on her. She has a nightmare about being helpless as her island and parents are destroyed, and later tells Maui, “You don't wanna talk? Don't talk. You wanna throw me off the boat? Throw me off. You wanna tell me I don't know what I'm doing? I know I don't. I have no idea why the ocean chose me. You're right. But... my island is dying. So I am here. It's just me and you. And I want to help. But I can't if you don't let me.”

Things come to a head between Moana and Maui when they face Te Ka and fail.

Maui: “I told you to turn back.” Moana: “I thought we could make it.” Maui: “We?” Moana: “I thought... I could make it.” she looks at his hook “We can fix it.” Maui: “It was made by the gods. You can't FIX it.” Moana: “Next time we'll be more careful. Te Ka was stuck on the barrier islands. It's lava. It can't go in the water. We can find a way around.” Maui: “I'm not going back.” Moana: “What – We still have to restore the heart.” Maui: “My hook is cracked. One more hit and it's over.” Moana: “Maui, you have to restore the heart!” Maui: “Without my hook, I am nothing.” Moana: “That's not true.” Maui: “WITHOUT MY HOOK, I AM NOTHING!” He drops the heart. Moana: “We are only here because you stole the heart in the first place.” Maui: “No, we're here because the ocean told you you're special and you believed it.” Moana: “I am Moana of Motunui. You will board my boat -” Maui: “Goodbye, Moana.” Moana: “Sail across the sea -” Maui: “I'm not killing myself so you can prove you're something you're not.” Moana: “- and restore the heart of Te Fiti! The ocean chose me!” Maui: “It chose wrong.” he leaves. Moana: “Maui!”

Moana was overconfident and didn't listen when Maui told her to retreat. Her actions were reckless. Sometimes being strong-willed and never backing down or giving up ends up causing significant problems for Leos, especially in relationships.

Maui knows exactly what to say to hurt Moana. He attacks her sense of self and her desire to save the world. These are core Leo traits.

Moana is left devastated. She has gotten this far out of faith in her grandmother, and has pushed away her insecurities and confusion over why the ocean chose her. Maui has destroyed her confidence and faith.

Moana gives the Heart back to the ocean and Tala's ghost appears.

Moana: “I tried, grandma. I... I couldn't do it.”

Tala: “It's not your fault. I never should have put so much on your shoulders. If you're ready to go home, I will be with you.”

Moana goes to put her oar in the water but stops at the last moment. She can't do it.

Tala: “Why do you hesitate?”

Moana: “I don't know.”

Tala is giving Moana an out, where she can walk away from responsibility and failure. But something inside Moana refuses to let her do it. Because if she did it, she wouldn't be herself anymore.

Tala: “I know a girl from an island She stands apart from the crowd She loves the sea and her people She makes her whole family proud Sometimes the world seems against you The journey may leave a scar But scars can heal and reveal just Where you are The people you love will change you The things you have learned will guide you And nothing on earth can silence The quiet voice still inside you And when that voice starts to whisper “Moana, you've come so far” Moana listen, do you know who you are?”

Once again, Tala is encouraging Moana to listen to her inner self.

Moana: “Who am I?

I am a girl who loves my island And the girl who loves the sea, it calls me I am the daughter of the village chief We are descended from voyagers Who found their way across the world They call me

I've delivered us to where we are I have journeyed farther” (the ghost chief nods in respect to her, touching his similar necklace) “I am everything I've learned and more Still it calls me

And the call isn't out there at all It's inside me It's like the tide Always falling and rising I will carry you here in my heart You remind me That come what may I know the way

I am Moana!”

She dives into the ocean and grabs the Heart.

Here is the climax of Moana's character arc. Instead of basing her confidence and sense of inner alignment on what her grandmother or Maui say, she looks inwards and finds her inner sense of wholeness and confidence. She accepts and embraces her entire self for the first time.

Moana fixes her boat. “I am Moana of Motunui. I'll board my boat. I will sail across the sea and restore the heart of Te Fiti.”

She makes the multiple days' journey back to Te Fiti by herself and makes it through the barrier reef because of her smart thinking. It's only then Maui returns, saying, “I've got your back, chosen one. Go save the world.”

After Moana realizes Te Ka is Te Fiti, she tells the ocean, “Let her come to me” and walks bravely and confidently to meet Te Fiti. This is her destiny, and she is certain of her actions.

Moana: “I have crossed the horizon to find you

I know your name

They have stolen the heart from inside you

But this does not define you

This is not who you are

You know who you are”

Moana gives the heart to Te Ka and she turns back into Te Fiti.

By embracing her whole self, she finished her journey of transformation into an incredible leader. This is shown by several moments, including when she and Maui part.

Moana: “You could come with us, you know. My people are going to need a master wayfinder.”

Maui: “They already have one.”

A tattoo of Moana on her boat appears right next to his heart. She starts crying and gives him a massive hug.

Once Moana returns home, she starts teaching her people everything there is to know about wayfinding. When they are about to leave for their first big journey, the ocean gives Moana a conch shell, just like it did when she was a baby. She puts the shell on the Chief's stone pile as her 'stone,' taking her place as a ruler of Motunui.

Moana doesn't have any direct Leo symbolism. However, she does have an incredibly symbolic connection to Tangled's Sundrop Flower. While Disney often puts easter eggs from other films in their animated works, none are as profound or prominent as the Sundrop Flower.

The Sundrop Flower appears twice in Moana. The first time is during How Far I'll Go. It's in a patch of flowers to the right of Moana as she runs down to the sea. The second time is near the end, and it's much more prominent.

As Moana returns to Motunui, the Sundrop Flower is the first plant on her island we see come back to life. This symbolizes both Moana's embracing of her whole self, and how her return brings light and life back to Motunui.

Conclusion

I'm so incredibly grateful that Disney has given us these four amazing Leo princesses. They are all unique people in their own right, yet at the same time they all embody the essence of the Leo sign. All four of their character arcs focus on their evolution into noble and wise Queens, and I'm inspired by them everyday.

Thank you for reading!

#Rapunzel #Anna #Elena #Moana #Tangled #Frozen #Elena of Avalor #Disney #Mine #Leo #Zodiac #Leo sign

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