#it would be really cool to see the understudy cast

[youremyonlyhope]

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[uponthebarricade]

Les Mis Arena Spectacular Tour Review

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH - Me after watching the show. Hence, here is a very disorganised collection of my thoughts!

TLDR: everyone was amazing.

Bradley Jaden - the man that you are. Wow. I remembered hearing a lot about how amazing he is but I wasn't familiar with him at all. And wow did he exceed my expectations!! I've never really felt connected to Javert as a character - I understand him, but I never really felt what he was feeling until I saw Bradley play Javert. And from the moment he started singing I was captivated by his performance. He elevated the character and gave every line so much personality and meaning that it all felt brand new! Stars was just beautiful. I actually found myself rooting for Javert (and his death didn't feel goofy at all, which is a feat in itself). Probably my favourite of the cast - a lot of hair, a lot of spit (like, a lot...), and a lot of talent!!

Killian Donnelly - I mean, what can I say? I love Alfie and Michael but I specifically chose to see Killian's show because I have a soft spot for him (and I love an Irish man...). And of course he delivered! Not a single note out of place, and he perfectly captured the repentant, fatherly essence of Valjean. His last note in Bring Him Home was gorgeousss. And he and Bradley had great chemistry/tension together, despite the limited nature of the concert staging. They had a very wholesome hug during bows and it was nice to see them taking the moment in :) They deserve all the love!

Marius (Jac Yarrow) - Man, Jac's name is so close to Jack Sparrow that it automatically makes him cool. Jac was great as Marius! I found his performance improved as the show went on, and I think his acting particularly shined during Act 2. Beautiful voice - Empty Chairs was veryyy pretty. Mourning the fact that the boys didn't have the candles.

Eponine (Emily Bautista) - I mean her voice is just incredible and she had some really beautifully placed lines, especially during Eponine's death. It's a bit of an awkward scene to manage with concert staging but she made it seem really natural. On my own was really pretty with all the hanging lanterns as well! I think some Eponine's try really hard to make their version of the song unique/different, but I think the beauty of Emily's version is she kept it simple and effective!

Cosette (Jo Stephenson) - Jo was a lovely Cosette! I didn't extensively check the cast beforehand so I didn't even realise she was an understudy until now. Her voice was soooo angelic and those high notes were *chefs kiss*. Beautiful. And she had a very calm, graceful presence which was well-suited to the character - I would have liked to see just a little bit more of her own personality/spark added to her performance but it was still absolutely gorgeous!

Fantine (Rachelle Ann Go) - Similarly to Jo, Rachelle had a really graceful presence on stage that was perfect for the character. And of course, her voice is smoooooth as silk! Her voice during Valjean's death... whewwwww chills. I think my only criticism would be that some of her vocal choices during I Dreamed A Dream were a bit more "pop", which some people may love! I just tend to prefer the more classical sound.

Enjolras (James D. Gish) - My sister, who knows absolutely nothing about Les Mis, fell in love with James as soon as he came on stage (honey, it's a rite of passage- every Enjolras is a god in human form). Look, I won't lie - as an Enjolras fan I am very specific about the characterisations that I prefer - and James pretty much nailed it! Passionate without being too aggressive, charming without being too boyish, solemn without being too serious. And man.. that voice. Incredible. The only thing I could say is that I think he initially tried to achieve some sort of accent between American and British? And then eventually gave up and resorted to his American accent. Which is fine by me - I actually really like the mix of accents within the cast!

+Enjoltaire - If you know me then you know I am an Enjoltaire shipper and let me tell you, I was on the lookout! Again, interactions between characters was generally limited due to the staging but there were still some really sweet moments - Grantaire just generally always looking at Enjolras. Enjolras patting Grantaire on the back and Grantaire reaching out for his hand. Enjolras jumping to shield Gavroche and Grantaire upon the first gunshots. Drink with me... yeah. Connor Jones was a great Grantaire, but didn't get to see him too much due to the sections cut out of the show :(

Thenardiers (Matt Lucas and Marina Prior) - I mean, what can I say. Literal theatre legends. I think I'm so familiar with the show that the Thenardiers really need to try hard to catch me off guard enough to make me laugh, which they were able to! Good adlibbing between lines, although some were such modern references that it kinda drew me out of the show for a second - that being said, it was very much the more "relaxed" arena show vibe, and not a theatre show, so I can understand those choices. LOVED Matt's Dog Eats Dog. Edit: Love Marina Prior. Fuck Matt Lucas.

My only criticisms: Mainly to do with staging and cut songs/scenes, which I'm not too upset about since I understand the concert setup is quite limited. The overhead lights partially blocked one of the screens, so it was difficult to see during certain scenes but overall not a massive issue. The only thing that really drew me out of the show was the cutting of the Second Attack/Gavroche's death - it's one of my favourite scenes in the show, including the transition from his death to the Final Battle. I just love the buildup in tension and then the emotional release, it feels like such a turning point in the show that makes the rest of Act 2 so sombre. But Killian finished singing Bring Him Home and I'm still emotional and suddenly everyone is dead - wait, what? For a second I thought James was singing the wrong verse accidentally until everyone started getting shot. This is probably not an issue for anyone else, but I was a little disappointed not to see one of my favourite moments. This is why I NEED a fully staged version to come to my city, like, now.

Overall, I feel so thankful to have finally seen this show live for the first time, even if it wasn't in its full-fledged form. It was a magical experience to hear these songs and see this story that means so much to me come to life!!! A dream come true.

Now I have to study for exams. Shit.

[charliesarchivee]

SPOILERS FOR CABARET 2024 I LITERALLY AM DESCRIBING THE ENTIRE SHOW

this is my initial rundown of cabaret scene by scene I just needed to get this off my chest then I can be normal again and have normal thoughts and be a cats fan on main

Willkommen: A celebration!!! Eddie redmayne is a delight on stage and Gayle rankin walking through the mezzanine is so cool

Train: the emcee freezes in a tableau of playing with a toy train on the rotating stage which is delightful. Also, I saw the understudy for Clifford Bradshaw (he was AMAZING.) and his hat fell off of his suitcase and kept rotating around and I think at one point somebody picked it up bcos it disappeared!

So what: Bebe Neuwirth is a legend. A legend. That is all. Also Frauline Kost was HILARIOUS

telephone song: yes I know it’s not REALLY the telephone song but emcee hanging off a pillar (there were four pillars around the round stage) and reaching for Cliff as the whole cast echoes (and I mean it they had echoes on their mics) WELCOME TO BERLIN… FAMOUS NOVELIST… sent chills down my spine and to my toes like I think that gave me more chills than Alan cumming standing on top of the set with his head up and his chest out as if he was possessed

Don’t tell Mama: at one point she flopped on her back and kicked her feet up and went WAA WAA I WANT MY MAMAAA and I wept this was so funny and some lucky gal in the front row got her stage cigarette that she threw into the audience. Also when she said the convent part she was like “yea i know right” and the France part she went “haugh haugh haugh” like French laughter

cliff and Sally telephone: cliff was like “and somejwere men are laughing and somewhere childrenshoutbutthereisnojoyinmudvillemightycaseyhasstruckout” which is SO canon and was SO funny. And Sally’s face dropping as she deadpans “oh you’re American.” elicited like lots of laugjter

mein herr: SLOW AND SCARY MEIN HERR SAVE ME SLOW AND SCARY MEIN HERR PLZZZ

outside the klub: Sally just undresses right in front of him which was funny. At my performance there was a laundry hamper behind her and she threw her don’t tell mama dress out behind her and it did not land in the basket which, planned or not, made everyone laugh. Also, when Bobby kissed cliff, someone in the opposite mezz screamed “YEAAAA!!” Which like truth

Perfectly marvelous: Sally came in with this GIANT pink floral suitcase which she pulls articles of clothing out to put on cliff which was rly funny and fresh. Also- WERE HER PRAIRIE OYSTERS REAL?? Her recacrion seemed so genuine omfg.. also she buried herself under his coat for “nearly invisible perfectly marvelous girl” which was so cute and yes canon. Also I noticed she hugs his knees a lot in this show so cute

Two ladies: YES!! and they invited everybody to jump out of Sally’s big suitcase and just love!! It was so good!! During the dance break everyone was rotating around just getting it up and Herman (there’s nothing funny about Herman) was just on stage with a deadpan look and a mop, going back and forth to the beat, literally going under people’s legs, etc. one of my fav moments that I noticed cos I was just mesmerized by his mop was that someone came around jacking off to a book and then they held out their hand to Herman and he just wiped it with the mop disgustedly. SO FUNNY. Also Eddie redmaynes tights had little eyes on them so even wjen his pants r pulled down you know he’s always watching eek. Also now would be a good time to mention that the people sitting at the tables near the stage had little tea lights that would turn on during the Kit Kat limbo stuff (like two ladies and if you could see her) and they would turn off if we were in the apartment or the street or whatnot. A lovely little touch that my dad noticed! Also also when he credits the Kit Kat girls he says “rose lulu frenchie texas fritzie and My Helga!!” And he seems to really take a liking to Helga which is so canon and yes

It couldn’t please me more: she has this little headband on that I love. And also, I was gauging how many people would be shocked after If You Could See Her in this number. My hypothesis was if many people were pleasantly surprised/laughed at the pineapple reveal, then many people would have the bomb dropped on them during if you could see her. So I was paying attention! Anyway at the end he gave her the bag to put the pineapple back in and I KNEW WHAT WAS COMING but he slowly licked his two fingers, opened the bag, and slowly placed the pineapple inside very smoothly. Then they went their separate ways but on the orchestta button they turned around, smiled at each other, and she reached out her hand and he gleefully ran and took it and they exited together. SO cute. I love this staging. It is SO fresh after watching so many sam mendes recreations (not to say those are bad I love those too!)

Tomorrow belongs to me: when Eddie redmayne came out and started singing my first thought was “this can’t be right!!” I had only been accustomed to emcees sitting over a record player, or writers in the klub bursting out in song. I’ve only seen one production of cabaret have the emcee sing tbtm, and even then they had literal strings attached to them being pulled by uniformed men. So this was completely different for me! And also the arrangement of the song was beautiful if the song wasn’t an in universe Nazi song I would suggest it in choir it was really good sonically! And the mic echoes ATE. And SPOILER the cast had little plastic figures up to my thigh of little blonde boys that they placed in a perfect circle around the emcee (who was on a raised platform) and they were rotating around as the emcee looked around at everybody like “yeah look at what happens now..” and he TAKES OFF HIS RED WIG and literal GOOSEBUMPS UNDER MY SILVER TIGHTS.

Cliff and Sally apartment: they are so intimate makes me happy! Also the delivery of “a horrid little German infant with a mustache ordering us around” was superb and got audience laughter

maybe this time: literallt in her head voice because she’s UP IN HER HEAD like YES SLOW AND INTIMATE MAYBE THIS TIME SAVE ME SLOW AND INTIMATE MAYBE THIS TIME PLZ

Money: I have been predisposed to the money choreo being about prostitution, but this felt way different to me. I think in this song (bear with me) the emcee IS money. He’s dressed very bedazzled, rhinestones on his coat, sparkly long nails, but also scary, with a helmet and stark makeup, because money can be scary! Also, all of the dancers, dressed in uniform rags, were constantly following the emcee around and reaching for him, and he would often lightly brush or peck them, which makes me think thag he represents money in that song specifically! I asked my dad about it on the way home and he said that money is just another reason people have to bury their head in the sand when important shifts are happening in their world. I agreed.

married: at one point in the sneaking around scene, Herr Shultz comes out wearing a floral cardigan and runs back going “oh this isn’t mine! This isn’t mine!” And frauline kost (and the ajdience) had a laugh. Also this song was so sweet and tender. Great job everyone!

engagement party: SCORE THING: the underscoring switch from the beginning of maybe this time to if you could see her as the party comes up was CHILLING. there was no scene in between married and the engagement party, so frauline Schneider had an impressive on stage quick change into a dress! Also, Herr Schultz getting tipsy on schnapps was hilarious. I had another hypothesis too here which was If a lot of people gasp at Herr Ludwig’s reveal, then a lot of people will have a bomb dropped on them at the end of If You Could See Her. And in fact, a lot of people did gasp! I literally felt a chill just descend on everybody as the weight of this sank in.

tomorrow belongs to me (reprise): SCARY. The emcee comes up at the end on a small raised platform in his money outfit (here I think he represents power) and he has a baton and he’s conducting everybody!!! Also he conducted correctly in 3/4 I was so warmed to notice that he wasn’t just flailing about like he did that right thank you Eddie redmayne for doing it right

—

Entracte: I need to make a seperate post about the prologue and entracte performances. Oh my lord. Words cannot describe. Just chills.

kick line: YES. I love any production that adds the German counting and I loved how they transitioned into the march in this one! Like they started by (in a ripple may I add) reaching out all inviting and then dramatically pivoting around to reach all inviting to the other side and then it slowly turned into a salute and a goose step!! And then the emcee comes out the center with a CLOWN COSTUME AND A COMIC ORANGE GUN with a little swastika flag in it and then he hands it to the last person on line who marches away with it. V scary. Props.

married reprise: there is a heartbreaking moment where Herr Schultz asks “how much time do we”- and then he breaks off and cries. Oh my gosh. Also the emcee is doing very slow magic tricks in the corner like producing an orange. And producing a glass. And then he stands up and shows the audience he’s putting the glass in a napkin like he’s about to release a dove and at first I’m thinking “oh instead of a dove he’s gonna throw a brick right?” But NO. He excitedly puts the glass down.. and at the very last minute HE REARS BACK AND STAMPS ON IT (like at Jewish weddings!) AND THE STAGE GOES DARK. Theres screaminf and when the lights come back up, the entire stage is covered in little triangles of white paper like broken glass. Those remain for the rest of the show. The emcee then goes to the middle of the stage, looks Herr Schultz in the eyes, and drops the glass and towel down this seemingly bottomless pit and then Herr Schultz gets really scared and runs away and then the emcee closes it up with a wave of his hand. I think in that moment Herr Schultz was face to face with the gravity of his situation.

if you could see her: chilling because the gorilla isn’t even a gorilla in a dress. It’s practically a real animal. It walks on all fours the whole number and sits and like picks at its fur or whatever gorillas do. And the emcee is tempting it with a banana the whole time. Now i seriously prepared myself for the last line here I was ready for very hesitant applause and maybe even gasps but NO Eddie redmayne delivered it like a punchline (not his fault the Nazis are getting more and more powerful so this would be a joke) SO a couple people around me LAUGHED before realizing snd they like cleared their throats. Also they used the rotating stage in this one and when it turned on he said “oh we’re moving my little one!” Which was a nice touch but is also this song so

Cliff and Sally apartment 2: cliff gets like visibly upset when Sally wants to go back to the klub he’s like leaning on furniture which is a nice touch! Also after what would you do when he said “you’re going a lot further than the Kit Kat klub you’re going home. My home. America,” somebody in the audience went “YES!”

what would you do: LEGEND. Bebe Neuwirth was phenomenal. The platform rose her up too it was amazing. What would you do hits something in me that I didn’t know was there.

I don’t care much: everybody knows this is my favorite song to ever come out of cabaret. I LOVE this song and it’s just dear to me. When Eddie redmayne came on stage in a suit and he was NEWLY BLONDE I cried I was like no way. And when he went WOORDS SOUND FALSE he frantically tied to get the pieces of glass I was just in shambles. And then he GRABBED SALLY BY HER WRISTS and practically spat the last “I don’t care” in her face and then SUFFOCATED HER IN A HUG and I feel like in that moment he was still a reflection of a changing Berlin, beating on people like Sally. I have a whole analysis of this

Outside the klub 2: the emcee is leaning on a pole and Sally starts to walk toward him to enter tne klub and then cliff walks in and is like “DONT GO NEAR HIM SALLY!!” And I don’t think the emcee is the emcee in that moment tbh I think he’s a pimp but anyway. When cliff gets beaten by Nazis Sally is sitting deadpan on the end of the stage with her back to everything. She doesn’t even flinch. She physically turns her back on everything

cabaret: no words in any language can describe how remarkable this was. That is all. Also when the emcee introduces her he comes up and poses and nobody clapped cos this was kind of a dark moment and he was like “…thank you..thank you..” all small and shaky and I think that nearly killed me it really did

Cliff and Sally apartment 3: when herr Schultz was like “I’m leaving” someone said “NO!” Which liek truth. This scene was just heartbreaking. Cliff like raised his hand to hit her and literally broke down and I BROKE DOWN JUST WEEPING ALL OVER MY SEAT

finale: YIKES. When cliff started singing wilkommen I also wanted to scream “NO!!” As well but I did not. The emcee yelled where are your troubles now? Forgotten? Right at cliff which scared me. And he had a baton and was conducting everybody again! Also also the entire cast mirrored the first ever tomorrow belongs to me and stood in a perfect circle all dressed in brown and at the drumroll hit the lights darkened immediately on the emcee but stayed dim on the rotating circle like saying “THIS IS YOU!!” Also the bows didn’t have music and were very solemn.

ok danke merci thanks!

[demigodsanswer]

Coppélia

((embarrassing amounts of Percy yearning ahead))

Standing was the worst part of understudying. 

Percy didn't mind the experience of being an understudy. In fact, that had been how he’d gotten most of his big opportunities in the company so far. But understudying Beck as Franz in Coppélia meant standing off to the side for the entire three-hour-long complete. They were running the entire ballet today, just in the studio with a piano and no costumes, to see it all put together. 

His legs were starting to cramp. But Percy forced himself to pay attention to act three as best he could in case he needed to go on. Percy had a solo in the first cast and in the second cast, so this was really the only time he’d get to see the entire thing from the sides. 

Even if he wasn't called this production, he could always be called in the future. 

If he could be sitting in a plush theater chair, everything would be okay. He and the rest of the company seemed to be realizing for the first time that Annabeth could do more than just tragic leading ladies. All in all, a perfect Swanilda. Her impersonation of a doll had made Percy laugh for real. Annabeth was sassy, and funny, and a real heart-fluttering kind of adorable that Percy tried to ignore. 

But it was hard. It was the end of spring now, and Annabeth was starting to look a bit tan, although Percy didn’t know when she found the time to go outside. He rarely found it. They were in act three now, the wedding scene, and she just seemed so happy. The warm tan of her skin and her bright smile looked beautiful against the light purple of her leotard that seemed to sparkle, which she wore with a long blue-gray skirt over pink tights. 

With her long-term boyfriend and general out-of-his-leaugeness, Annabeth was a terrible woman to have feelings for. He told his heart to stop doing flip flops, but it didn’t want to listen. 

Annabeth finished her variation at the end of the wedding pas de deux with a pique manege. Chiron was always pushing them to move faster, faster, faster, to do more turns in the same amount of music. Annabeth took off for the turns in a blur of purple and gray, moving as fast as she could, hoping from one turn to the next to eat up as much space as she could. 

A big hair pin flew out of her french twist on the first turn and landed near Percy’s feet. He picked it up so no one would slip on it, as her blonde curls started to unravel. Annabeth didn’t let it stop her, but Percy could see everyone’s eyes fixate on her hair. 

“I want you to spin until it all comes down!” Chiron yelled at her, signaling to the pianist to repeat the music if she needed to. 

She didn’t need to. The room clapped to the beat of the music as the hair unraveled. A few more tight, fast pique turns, and all of her hair was down around her shoulders, somehow still beautiful princess curls after a day of being tucked up into a french twist. The company cheered for her and her loosed curls. 

Annabeth bowed slowly to catch her breath, and Percy tried to do the same. He’d seen her hair down a handful of times -- as Juliet, in Serenade, in Slaughter on Tenth Avenue. There was something special about it to be sure. 

Annabeth stepped to the side, as if in the wing, and stood next to him. 

Percy played it cool as she ran her fingers through her hair, pulling out stray pins as she did, eyes scanning the stage for any she’s abandoned. 

“Here,” Percy whispered, handing her back the one she’d lost. 

Beck’s music was ending; Annabeth didn’t seem to think much about simply handing him the fist-full of blonde-colored bobby pins she’d been holding before stepping out for her part of the coda. 

The coda ended with Annabeth leaping into Beck’s arms and being dipped back. Total triumph. Her blonde curls brushing the stage as he tilted her back. 

They stepped out the other side of the studio, opposite Percy as the finale started. Percy watched Annabeth reach for her hair, only to look around for her pins as if she had no memory what she’d done with them. 

From his spot on the other side he could see her whisper “What the fuck?” 

Percy tried to get her attention or Beck’s but it was no use. 

“Does anyone have a hair tie for Ms. Chase?” Chiron asked.  Piper, who was playing one of Swanilda’s friends, handed Annabeth one off her wrist. Annabeth pulled her hair into a quick, tight ponytail. Percy could see her apologize to Beckendorf in advance. He’d for sure be whacked by it. 

Percy watched him get hit in the face with her hair a good few times during the finale. He tried not to think about how much he wished that was him. 

When the finale was over, the bows taken, and the cast dispersed to get water, he saw Annabeth trying again to figure out what she’d done with her handful of pins. She took her hair down and returned the hair tie to Piper, who pointed her towards Percy, who was holding the pins up. 

Annabeth looked at him, a confused smile on her face. 

“I’m so sorry,” she said, taking back the pins with a laugh. “I didn’t … my brain …” 

“Don’t worry about it,” Percy promised. “Great work,” he added, gesturing to the studio. 

“Oh! Thanks!” Annabeth said, her smile wide. “God, this one is so much fun!” 

“It is,” Percy agreed.” 

“Well, thanks for holding onto these for me,” Annabeth said, before walking away to redo her hair. 

While Annabeth’s hair was still down, one of the girls behind her gasped. 

“You look like Swan Lake Barbie!” Drew Tanaka said. A few people raised their voice in agreement, as if they’d all been trying to figure out who she reminded them of. Annabeth tried to protest, but Drew said: “No, with your hair down and the leotard color! Spot on!” 

Annabeth smiled and gave in. Her hair still down, pins in her hand, she did a few of the white swan’s lame duck turns with swan arms, moving diagonally across the room, although starting downstage and moving up, instead of upstage moving down the way they did on stage. The company had just done another run of Swan Lake that winter, and the swan arms and graceful turns seemed to still be well in her body. She did about half until she was in the center of the room and gave up on the bit. 

But the pianist didn’t. The woman in her good humor started to play the black swan coda from memory. 

Annabeth let out a slightly frightened, dramatic ��Ahhgh!” At the music playing, which got a laugh from the company. 

But Annabeth wasn’t one to back down from a clear challenge. 

She turned around and handed the pins to Katie Gardner, before prepping in fourth position and waiting for the right moment in the music. 

With her hair still down, and her legs obviously tired, Annabeth managed the 32 turns, yelling “faster, please!” at the pianist after about five. Where she found the breath, Percy didn’t know. 

By the end, she had a few pieces of blonde hair stuck to her forehead and a few more going in every which way. 

“You’re blushing,” Beckendorf whispered to him. 

“It’s hot in here,” Percy lied. 

“You two’ve met, right?” Beck asked him. 

“Yeah, of course,” Percy said. The company was fifty-ish people big. He knew everyone. And he and Annabeth trained together at SAB. 

“I could reintroduce you,” he offered. “I could ask her if she’d want to go out with you.” 

Percy tried not to watch Annabeth put her hair back up in a twist. 

“What? You want me to steal Castellan’s girl?” 

Beck shrugged. “Someone should.” 

Beck stepped away from him then and went to talk to Chiron about some part of the choreography, leaving Percy to his thoughts. 

“Hey Percy,” Katie said walking up to him. 

“Hey!” Percy liked Katie. She was nice, they got along, she was pretty, brunette, not resembling any Mattel toys. 

“Would you want to get coffee some time?” She asked. Percy pretended not to see the Greek chorus of girls a few feet away offering her emotional support. 

“Sure, that’d be great!” Percy said, trying his best to put Annabeth out of his mind. 

~

~* Three years later *~

Helena wore her hair down in the ballet, so Annabeth took hers down for rehearsal. She didn't need to, but she told Percy that "If I rehearse with it up, then try to perform with it down, I'll forget what I'm doing."

So, he was standing next to her by the mirror, his hand out to hold her pins as her curls came down. Only a blue headband kept it off her her face, imitating the headpiece she'd wear on stage.

Annabeth handed him a few more pins, and he had a strange feeling of deja vu.

He'd wanted her so desperately. He'd wanted to touch her hair, hold her, kiss her, do all sorts of things to her.

They were alone in the studio now, a few lingering minutes before Midsummer Nights Dream rehearsals.

Percy threaded his fingers into her hair, and pressed his fist-full of bobby pins against her back to pull her in for a deep kissing. They'd kissed a hundred times in the last month. Probably more. But he felt like he really needed this one. Some people heal their inner child. Percy was healing his inner twenty-two year-old.

Annabeth's hand's found their way into his hair as well as she moaned and pressed her body closer to him.

"We said no kissing at work," Annabeth reminded him before leaning back in.

Percy, for his part, had forgotten every word in the English language and every human action that wasn't kissing Annabeth Chase. Her hair smelled like lemons and it was so soft to the touch.

"Should we come back later?" Jason asked from the door.

They pulled apart slowly, hardly even embarrassed. Percy wiped a bit of smudged lipstick from the corner of her mouth before wiping at his own with the back of his hand.

"Sorry," Annabeth said to Jason and Piper, before holding out her hand to Percy. Percy put his free hand in it, happy to hold hers. She smiled at him, kissed him again - just a light peck this time - and said: "the bobby pins."

"Oh!" He said, laughing as he handed them back to her.

[eerna]

Ur opinions about the Orpheuss are so correct you explained how I feel about Jordan Fischer and Reeve so well when I couldn’t articulate it. and u TALKED ABOUT CHIBUEZE I got to see him live my first time seeing the show and it was so breathtaking I don’t understand why he’s not been THE guy. like not to be dramatic but when they said he was the son of a muse and could change the world with a song I believed them. His acting is just really, soft? And his voice is really something else.

Orpheus part 2- ur 1b review gives me hope for the pro shot bc I hadn’t seen any performances from this year yet and I was worried we were getting stiff ehhh Reeve for the video 😭😭😭

THANKYOUU!! CHIBUEZE IHUOMA MY BELOVEDDDDDD YOU ARE SO LUCKY TO HAVE SEEN HIMMM!!! I am usually not one for softer Orpheuses bv I find it hard to believe this grown ass man is oh so innocent, oh so cute, oh so unguarded, but Chibueze is the only one who sells it. The openness and clarity in his voice and his acting make the characterization honest. He IS the son of a muse. He IS totally uncorrupted by the world. My Roman Empire is Reeve leaving and me being 1000% sure Chibueze is gonna become the principal Orpheus after years of understudy work,,,,, only for Jordan Fisher to be announced as the new principal casting,,,,,,, Vile I am telling you VILEEE Chibueze you deserved so much more

LISTEN I was SO SCARED going into it that I will have to employ the strategy of viewing post 2020 boots, "ignore Reeve and make believe he is not being a cringy hyperbole", so when he turned around to greet the audience and played it cool... And when Wedding Song began and he just did his usual singsong drawl instead of breathless weeping.... and when he hit those lalalas.... UGH!!! Before I left for the trip I told a friend I felt like his recast was a LMM in Hamilton proshot situation (why take the place of someone who would be better), but I was proven WRONG! He SLAYED! He reminded me why his Orpheus was the first one I felt for and could enjoy properly! I can't wait to see the proshot fr

[obstinaterixatrix]

Okay I’m gonna do a full write up now that it’s been a few days and I have time away from people I’d want to talk to instead (how can I write when I’m among friends, I wanna talk to them) (however this means it will be really hard to remember) (for reference I started typing this up around 7PM)

First of all, we made sure to come 30 minutes before so we could experience the prologue. The experience of walking into the theater was really cool—it was styled to look like we were going through towards a back entrance, so there was a bunch of stuff piled to the side for the vibes. I already posted the pictures before but I might as well stick it in here as well

I’m really curious what the process of making this whole setup was like. I’m guessing they just directed us into a service entrance instead of the main entrance for the theater and decorated it accordingly. The hallway leads to a short set of stairs that took us to the actual back of the theater (which is now the entrance) where an usher stuck a sticker onto our phone cameras to discourage Any Photos At All. I’m guessing it’s because there is a whole pre-show performance they’re trying to make sure people don’t record, but it’s such a shame because I looooove taking pictures of how a theater is decorated for a show, and this theater was really transformed.

There were a lot of metallic beaded curtains, which meant there was kind of a metallic smell every time you passed through one. That was the case for going in the club, and there were some beaded curtains to divide areas the performers were dancing and playing instruments. There were two dancers, and I think someone playing a clarinet, an electric double bass, and… definitely one person played piano on the main floor, but I think there were two other folks on instrument. Definitely a violin.

We watched a bit of the pre-show on the main floor. It was right next to one of the bars, the bartender was framed within the shape of an eye—they really committed to the eye motif—and went upstairs just to see. A friend who had seen the show before told us to explore the space since it was immersive, and that the bar on the mezzanine level had pineapples. Even walking on the stairway up was cool because some of the lights had a spidery shape over the lightbulb which casted some pretty ominous shadows. There were also some lights that had eyes on the walls splaying out around them, I almost didn’t see them at first because of how they were following the shadows.

The mezzanine bar was very green. Most of it might’ve been the green-tinted lights, but I think they might’ve painted the walls green as well… maybe. It was hard to tell. The chandeliers were beautiful, a nice floral design… I think they were styled with fake leaves for a solidly earthy vibe. The sconces (?) as well. My friend bought a postcard set and a magnet, which includes the emcee’s costume for ‘money makes the world go around’ and… one other number. the costume for sally was for mein herr I think.

on the bottom level, there was a disco ball atop a pillar that was framed by the shape of an eye—both of them rotated. It was at the end of a stage where you could continue to watch the pre-show. Whenever the performers would leave, staff would stop you from following them immediately so they could have some room to set up (presumably staff at their target location would prevent people on the other side from getting in the way as well). The performances were dancing and music, playful and a little raunchy but nothing too crazy (they have to save it for the show).

Anyway, after the last part of the pre-show ended, we were directed to go to our seats for the start of the show. I had expected the usual ~10 minutes of leeway so I’d be able to flip through the playbill, but the lights went out basically at 2 on the dot, which meant I saw the slip of paper indicating an understudy but I couldn’t read who it was. (Both me and my friend had the same experience of going like ‘ooohhh no is it orville or eva’, and when the emcee started it took me an extra second to parse whether I could recognize orville peck’s voice, then we were like. ok at least we got orville) (the understudy was for the gorilla) (lol)

I’ve written all of this and haven’t even gotten to the first number. And I Still Won’t Be.

The theater’s arranged so that the first two rows are actually tables with lamps that have a phone attached, like you’re at the kit kat club yourself. The stage is circular and very small; at its base form it has maybe three tiers and there were four thin pillars stretching up to the ceiling(ish). On the stage itself is an eye design, the ‘pupil’ being a speaker I think. We weren’t sitting at a table but we were the row RIGHT behind them and we got ‘em for half off two hours before the show, tkts really pulled through for us~

While we were following the performers around, I thought they might’ve been the pit orchestra and I thought ‘damn they really pared down the orchestration for this’, but no, the orchestra was just on the second floor and at the side. I think the conductor was to our right.

I’ve hit the image limit for mobile, and while I’m not sure I’ll take that many pics of my incomprehensible notes, I’ll end it here and start my thoughts on the show on a separate rb

[our-future-is-up-to-us-2]

Hadestown AU Notes/Thoughts

AAAAA!!!!

Saw Hadestown yesterday and oh my goodness, such a beautiful musical. I remember being obsessed with the Broadway recording in 2021/2022, but I'm so happy that I could see it close to home, and with such a unique cast too.

Thoughts on staging, cast, unique moments, etc. in detail down below! If you've noticed anything cool or have your own similarities/differences in experience, let me know!!

Kept under the cut for those who don't want to see it and/or are seeing the show sometime soon:

First off, the casting changes that I saw! Overall, a brilliant cast. I saw a few understudies yesterday, being Iosefa Hermes, Sarah Persephone and Molly Fate (replacing where Sarah would be a Fate), but I was still so impressed:

-> Sarah's Persephone was pretty vibrant and fun, leaning into the who 'ugh fml but let's drink' side heavily in Act 1, but a clear shift in Act 2. That was especially in "Our Lady Of The Underground" where that rebellious aspect of her shone forth.

-> Iosefa Hermes... Where to begin. The talent!!! Is all there!!! He really drove the narration in so many ways, with his emphasis in the words especially. But I also loved the stronger kinship between him and Orpheus that I saw (maybe this is something done in productions? Never seen it live before this) but how Hermes was constantly saying things like "Go on," or "Attaboy", and encouraging Orpheus to face the audience when he sang.

Second! The other cast members (being the main ones!)

-> Noah Mullins' Orpheus was incredible. He really played into the tentative/dorky/shy side of him, especially in the beginning, and I found that really cute! He was a very gentle type all the way through, even in a song like "Papers Intro" where he 'raises up his voice', but does so very quietly! His "If It's True" was so powerful, especially as he started raising his voice and gesturing around at The Workers during "I believe that we are many / I believe that they are few!"

-> Abigail Adriano's Eurydice was such an exquisite blend of sass, defensiveness, anguish, and love. She really nailed the role, from flipping off Hermes in "Road To Hell", to fully keeling over during "Flowers", and more. There was so much expression, especially during those tense/emotional moments. Even in something like "A Gathering Storm" which is sometimes taken with more melancholy, was really taken with so much emotion: The fear and despair when she called his name and subsequently was ignored, you could really hear and feel it.

-> The Fates overall were wicked. That's how I'd describe them: Wicked good in their ability and wicked bad in personality. One of The Fates hissed during the beginning of "When The Chips Are Down" and that was such a good choice!! They really highlighted The Fates as these wicked, playful, uncaring gods that also constantly taunted the characters and created endless doubt for the other characters.

-> Adrian Tamburini's Hades was one-of-a-kind. So it felt to me, at least. Originally, I was really tentative about how his voice, trained in opera, would transfer to the musical stage. He nailed it in every aspect. I feel blown away by his role, especially. Hearing the jazzy side in "Hey, Little Songbird", the pure torment in "His Kiss, The Riot", the ups and downs, the growling and almost 'fry-type' voice in parts was amazing to hear. He wasn't one-dimensional in the slightest, it really brought out his dictator side and human side so well.

-> The Workers were great too. I don't have much to say on them, only because I was so engrossed in everything else that it was hard for me to spot things with individual Workers or anything like that! But their voices and movements as a group really brought the show together, as always.

Third: Set/Staging/Lighting/Sound:

-> Again, I don't know if this is done with other productions, but the "door to the Underworld" was at the back of the stage rather than dropping through the turntable! This created some changes for a few moments, being the entries and exits of Hades/Persephone/The Workers, but most noticeably The Turn TM. Orpheus did a full run around the stage, looking from side to side, and ended up on the right side of the turntable, looking to the back of the stage, where Eurydice was. Then the door closed in on her.

-> The lights in "Wait For Me" were awesomeeee - I know this has been a feature throughout the productions, but those swinging lights were so cool.

-> The light turned blue at points in the musical (I think during "All I've Ever Known"?), and turned bright orange in others (most vividly in "Chant"). The lights cut out after "I CONDUCT THE ELECTRIC CITY" before shining back in. There were also lights shone into the audience, during "Wait For Me" asw, iirc.

-> That turntable is so cool to see in person, the dynamism created with The Workers on top of it, then Eurydice lying on it and moving, all of that action was just great.

-> THE SOUND! Epic sound!! My favourite thing to mention was this persistent echo used often throughout the show, especially when relating to The Fates. It just added so much to their eeriness.

Fourth: Band And Instruments!!

-> They get their own mention because they were just that good.

-> The lady on the piano and the guy on the trombone especially - Trombone guy (I don't have the program on me rn I'm sorry) was a character of his own, really. And I think that's the effect the creators wanted. After the show finished, the band continued with a "Way Down Hadestown" instrumental, and this guy on the trombone kept goofing around and showing his talent! Definitely a fun pick-me-up after the raw emotion of the show's ending.

-> The violins in "Chant"... Ugh. They're so iconic - The ones in the buildup with Orpheus: "The dark clouds roll in the one up above / Look up! / Keep your head low..." that whole section.

-> The Fates with their instruments as well were so talented. I particularly loved hearing that accordion sound throughout, it's made so clear when live!!

Small Gripes

-> I think this has been done in other productions, but I was not prepared for it: "Nothing Changes" was sped up immensely! It felt like it was on 2x speed and I don't know why they made that choice. To me, it took away from the impact of the song, but I suppose it also added that echoey/taunty dimension with the speed, like a "haha you're doomed!! You're doomed! You're done!"

-> Added/Changed lyrics to Epic III: This one kinda just... Eh. Idk how to feel about it, I'm more negative than positive about it. It felt like it made things too obvious or something. It was before the "Where is your treasure inside of your chest" section. I believe West End used these lyrics, and all the Australian productions that I've seen are based on West End versions (eg: Heathers, with "I Say No" and "You're Welcome" changes, etc.)

-> There were a couple of notes missed, but not many! Tbh, this isn't much of a gripe, just an observation. These actors are working overtime every day and these notes are incredibly hard to hit. But some I noticed were:

Eurydice in "Chant" - She hit the "shelter us" note perfectly, but went lower on "harbour me" (with Hermes' lyrics entwined, "And the wrath of the gods was in it!" section). She hit a high note for the second "harbour me" (during the "think of them as my embrace..." section) but it was quite strained!

Orpheus in the beginning - I don't think he missed many notes but some of the "la la la"s weren't done in that high voice, done with a different voice but still done clearly. Probably because those "la la la"s are like- The hardest notes to hit!!! I mean!!! It's why he's touched by the gods themselves and all of that!!

That's about it for now!!! I wish I could remember more things: If I do, I'll share them <3

[random-talking101]

My vent #1

So I am a huge Broadway fan and I am a huge Jeremy Jordan fan cause he is who got me to really love Broadway. Well as most of us know he is apart of the Broadway show The Great Gatsby playing one of the main roles as Jay Gatsby. Well I have an online friend who is a huge fan of him and I'm glad I found them cause I get to talk to someone about Jeremy Jordan with but I have a feeling she is wayyyy to obsessed. This I think started when Jeremy Jordan was out and could not play Jay Gatsby and he had one of his understudies play Jay. Well okay that's fine I don't mind someone else playing him. Well then came another time Jeremy had to be out and a different understudy of his got to play Jay Gatsby. Cool! The understudies sound great playing Jay so I don't have a problem with that. Well my friend dislikes both of his understudies and calls them imposters, Horrible, and other things. Well I noticed it's not just my friend saying that but multiple other people. I get that you like Jeremy I do to! But please don't go spreading hate to the other people who have played Jay Gatsby they are not imposters or Horrible they are play Jay Gatsby their own way and they don't need to be like Jeremy Jordan cause they are their own person! So please if you are one of those people please stop Jeremy would be so disappointed in you he is probably good friends with his understudies and hates that his fans are doing this to them. Also another thing about this, I personally don't have insta or X but when other cast members are on a live stream please stop asking for other cast members is disrespectful and rude! Not to mention it's probably hurting the actors to know that a lot of the people are only there to see another person so if you join one of there streams please do not ask to see other cast members constantly. Again I love Heremy Jordan he has a special place in my heart cause he helped me fine the love that I have for Broadway and acting but please do not be disrespectful to the cast members or the understudies of the main people cause it hurts. That's all for now feed back is appreciated and you are welcome to ask questions! (Also pls don't spread hate on my opinion)

[ashleywool]

For the last few days, I’ve been getting really into How To Dance In Ohio and, my goodness, I adore the cast EP and have watched and re-watched every YouTube video about it I can! But, from what I could find, there isn’t a Wiki page or anything like that with information about the characters! If you can, I would love to know some fun facts (maybe pronouns, likes, dislikes, whatever else!) about the seven lovely autistic people we follow in the show!

I’m hoping to see it sometime next year! 💛

Hey there!

The Wikipedia page does exist, although it's still pretty sparse as the show is still in previews and there are rules about what the updates are allowed to be. Everything has to be substantiated by a published article on an established platform or a first-person interview.

Here's the character breakdown from the Equity Principal Audition, with some of my own notes added for context. I've included some of the nicknames we've come up with for the characters also, some of which are canon.

Johanna: 40s-50s, she/her, powerful mezzo-soprano. Caroline’s mother, perky and positive, keeps a watchful eye over her daughter, artsy mom vibes. (Note: it's pronounced "yo-HAH-na.") Also known as: Jo-Jo (pronounced "yo-yo;" not canon) Currently: played by Darlesia Cearcy, and understudied by Marina Pires. (Note also: Darlesia's name is pronounced Dar-LEE-see-ah.) Fun fact: Darlesia isn't much of a public social media user, but when I looked her up on Twitter, this is the first thing that popped up, from her time in Shuffle Along. If I were her, I wouldn't even bother with a headshot and resume anymore, I'd just hand casting directors a copy of that tweet. It pretty much says it all.

Terry: 40s-50s, she/her, powerful mezzo-soprano. Jessica’s mother, patient, loves leopard print, gives her daughter lots of space, cool mom vibes. Also known as: Ter-Bear. (not canon) Currently: played by Haven Burton, and understudied by Marina Pires. Fun fact: Haven plays my mom but she's only seven years older than me in real life. Marina P is four years younger than me. Best of all: when we were premiering in Syracuse, this role was also covered by an SU junior (Elana Babbit). She didn't get to go on, but if she had, I would've had a mother who was almost half my age!

Michael: 40s-50s, he/him, mid to high tenor. Marideth’s father, blue-collar, doing his best, is anxious in new social settings. Also plays: "Derrick," a pharmacy technician employee at Columbus Community College, who has a brief interaction with Caroline (and may or may not be a murderer). Currently: played by Nick Gaswirth, and understudied by Martín Solá.

Amy: 40s-50s, she/her, soprano. Drew’s mother, cultured, a housewife with a master’s degree, adept at managing her husband and son’s needs. Also plays: Shauna Parks, a super hawtt reporter from the Columbus Gazette. Currently: played by Melina Kalomas and understudied by Marina Pires.

Kurt: 40s-50s, he/him, mid to high baritone. Drew’s father, white-collar, conservative, a bit formal, has high expectations for Drew. Also plays: Hawkins, Mel's manager at Paws and Claws Pet Shop, who's kind of a douchebag, and Rick Jenkins, a blogger (not a reporter) who has no idea how to write about disability with any shred of respect. Currently: played by Carlos L. Encinias--who calls his collection of roles "The Villain Track" though I assure you is an exquisitely kind and funny anti-villain in real life--and understudied by Martín Solá.

Dr. Emilio Amigo: to play 50s, he/him, high baritone, Cuban-American. A clinical psychologist, founder and director of Amigo Family Counseling, great at his job, charismatic, full of empathy, recently divorced, at a crossroads. Currently: played by Caesar Samayoa, and understudied by Martín Solá and Carlos L. Encinias.

Ashley Amigo: to play 22, she/her, mezzo-soprano with a strong mix, of Cuban-American. Amigo’s daughter, a dancer recovering from an injury, is at a crossroads. Currently: played by Cristina Sastre, and understudied by Marina Pires and Marina Jansen.

Drew: 18, he/him, mid to high tenor, autistic. He needs structure, a bit formal, knows a lot about electricity and electrical grids, is looking for deeper connections in life, possibly romantic, on track to go to his dream college. Also known as: Drewby (by his mom; canon) Currently: played by Liam Pearce and understudied by Collin Hancock, Jean Christian Barry, and Hunter Hollingsworth.

Marideth: 18, she/her, alto with a strong mix, autistic. Raised by a single dad, loves to research facts, hates shoelaces, doesn’t like to be touched, is anxious in new social settings. Also known as: Wolf (not canon) Currently: played by Madison Kopec, and understudied by Marina Jansen and Ayanna Nicole Thomas. Fun fact: Marideth isn't the first canonically autistic character originated by Madison Kopec. I first heard of them back in 2019 when they were cast as Emma in a reading of a new musical called Indigo, which eventually had its world premiere last summer in (funnily enough) Ohio.

Caroline: 19, she/her, soprano with a strong mix, autistic. Perky and positive, goes to community college, is best friends with Jessica but is obsessed with her boyfriend. Also known as: Menace (not canon) Currently: played by Amelia Fei, and understudied by Ayanna Nicole Thomas and Marina Jansen.

Jessica: 20, she/her, full-voiced mezzo-soprano, autistic. Wants to live on her own, loves fantasy but is surprisingly practical, has a flair for drama. Also known as: Rachel Berry (obviously not canon as that's copyright infringement) Currently: played by Ashley Wool (yours truly) and understudied by Ayanna Nicole Thomas and Marina Jansen. Fun fact: Lol. 20. That's adorable. I'm absolutely not 20.

Mel: 24, she/he/they, earthy alto, autistic. The oldest member of the group, a seeker into self-help and mindfulness, a natural leader, works at a pet shop. Also known as: Head of Reptiles (technically canon, but we also just like to imagine Mel as a mythical creature with a reptilian head) Currently: played by Imani Russell and understudied by Marina Jansen and Ayanna Nicole Thomas. Fun fact: way back in 2021, when they were casting the first reading of the show, my agent at the time submitted me for Mel--the character was initially conceived as a cis woman on the breakdown--but I had already gotten a callback for Jessica from my self-submission, and I had a gut feeling that there was somebody better out there for Mel. I couldn't have been more right--after Imani was cast, it was largely thanks to their creativity, insight and influence that Mel evolved into the distinctive non-binary icon (non-bicon?) we know and love today.

Remy: 18+ to play 16, he/she/they, mid to high tenor, autistic. Into cosplay, makes a How-To costume and makeup tutorial videos online. Currently: played by Desmond Luis Edwards, and understudied by Jean Christian Barry, Ayanna Nicole Thomas, and Hunter Hollingsworth. Fun fact: Dez's involvement in HTDIO is the ultimate "Cinderella story." In 2021, Jacob Yandura was running a summer camp in Florida, and Dez was a student there; upon finding out Dez was autistic, Jacob said, "hey, I think you'd be a good fit for this musical I'm writing." The first time I heard Dez sing at the rehearsals for the reading, I was like, "you're SEVENTEEN?! I quit." How many actors out there go from their third high school musical DIRECTLY to Broadway? Another fun fact: Dez created all the cosplay designs we used onstage in the Syracuse production. Check out his art account here!

Tommy: 22, he/him, mid to high baritone, autistic. Funny, self-conscious, studying to get his driver’s license. Currently: played by Conor Tague, and understudied by Hunter Hollingsworth, Collin Hancock, and Jean Christian Barry. Fun fact: In real life, Conor does not drive and is staunchly anti-driving.

Ok, I gotta shower and head to the theater for work notes, but I'll happily add more later!

[gilmores-glorious-blog]

GUYS. i just saw sweeney todd on broadway and i am. so incredibly unwell. it was so fucking phenomenal and quite possibly the best piece of live theatre i have ever seen. i also got to meet most of the cast at the stagedoor, including gaten and josh and annaleigh and i am still reeling from the experience. here are a few of my many many thoughts for anyone else out there who’s as insane about this show as i am:

- the staging was so cool, it especially stood out to me during poor thing and city on fire (city on fire was so fucking awesome ngl it went very hard)

- i saw understudies for both anthony and johanna, and while i’m a bit disappointed to not see maria, both understudies were absolutely phenomenal (also i talked with the actress of johanna afterwards and she was the most genuine and sweet person ever)

- i love annaleigh’s lovett so much, and honestly more than i thought i would. she’s so fucking funny and something is deeply wrong with her <33

- y’know what? they are allowed to be horny as a treat. i appreciate how mrs. lovett was just constantly trying to climb josh groban like a tree because who wouldn’t want to do that??

- josh’s epiphany was so so good oh my god.

- this is neither here nor there but kiss me was so much tamer than in the other production i saw where they were like. fully having sex by the end of the song.

- god. christ. okay. so. gaten’s toby is everything i ever wanted and more. he was so incredible and perfect for the role and i have so many emotions about toby and honestly i might make a separate post about him because holy shit. best part of the show and my most special boy :’)

- i was not expecting anthony, johanna, and the police to come into the bakeshop in time to see toby kill sweeney and i. absolutely fucking insane directorial decision i love it.

- the cast stayed after bows to talk about broadway cares and i got so jumpscared by josh’s real voice,, he was just standing there covered in blood like “hey guys :D”

- in the few seconds in which i met gaten, i was rambling and told him i thought he was the most perfect casting for toby to ever exist and he was so taken aback lol,, he really went :o

[mikefaistinfo]

Interview: Mike Faist Tries to Keep His Cool as Riff in ‘West Side Story’

by: New York Times. Dec. 27, 2021

The actor, a star of Broadway musicals like “Dear Evan Hansen,” talks about playing the leader of the Jets in Steven Spielberg’s remake.

He’s the menacing gang leader who fights, frolics and finger-snaps his way through “West Side Story”: that’s Riff, the frontman of the Jets, who commands a cadre of lost boys in their turf battles against the Sharks, and takes center stage in numbers like “Jet Song” and “Cool.”

In Steven Spielberg’s remake with a screenplay by Tony Kushner, the role of Riff is played by Mike Faist, a 29-year-old veteran of the New York stage. Faist earned a Tony Award nomination in Broadway’s “Dear Evan Hansen,” where he originated the role of the title character’s would-be friend, Connor Murphy; he also performed in “Newsies the Musical,” understudying its hero, Jack Kelly.

Despite his theatrical pedigree, Faist said it was not so easy to keep calm and collected for this “West Side Story” — he did not necessarily think he had the required dancing skills and wasn’t sure of the project’s intentions.

As he explained in a recent video call, “I was nervous going into it, because of the Hollywood of it all. I thought it was maybe going to be this overproduced thing, and I was just going to be told what to do and where to stand and how to say it.” But, Faist said, Spielberg “allowed me the freedom, quite frankly, to run wild and to be liberated.”

Faist is garnering strong reviews for the performance and he is considered to be a contender for the coming awards season. He spoke further about the making of “West Side Story,” learning the choreography for “Cool” and being a leader to his Jets both onscreen and off. These are edited excerpts from the conversation.

How did you find out that Steven Spielberg was planning a remake of “West Side Story”?

Tony Kushner came to see us Off Broadway at “Dear Evan Hansen” and mentioned it. At the time I just thought, well, that’s cool. Congratulations. Best of luck with that. That was six years ago. Casting wanted me to submit a tape and then another tape and then come into the room and dance. I didn’t really want to. I do remember asking specifically, “Do I have to dance?” And they said, “This is ‘West Side Story.’”

Hadn’t you danced on Broadway?

The only dance show that I’d really done in New York was “Newsies.” For the most part, really, I just pushed around sets. I danced as a kid and I like dancing at weddings, that’s fun. But I wouldn’t say that I speak the language.

As you started to audition for the film, could you see yourself as Riff?

Originally they asked if I could put a tape together for Tony. I sang “Maria” and I read a scene or two. Months later they called me in and said we’d like you to put together a tape for Riff. I got excited. But you can never invest too much. After reading for the part, there was just this energy and this realization that this shoe fits. And, oh crap. [Laughs.] Now I have to do it.

Once you had landed the role, did you talk with Kushner and Spielberg about how they envisioned Riff?

We talked about the relationship between Tony and Riff. Tony wants to be a different person, someone better than who he was. And it’s nearly impossible for Riff to let go of who Tony was for him. It’s like going home for Thanksgiving. “This is who I am.” And your family’s like, “No, you’re this.” That’s the simpler version of what I’m trying to say.

Were you also considered for the film adaptation of “Dear Evan Hansen”?

I was approached about being part of the film. But the truth is that for me, I just felt like I couldn’t do it. I had already given everything I could to that role and I had already left it at that point. I didn’t feel like I could do it justice. It was something that I really grappled with. I came to the realization that you can’t go home again.

Once you started work on “West Side Story,” where did you begin?

Early in the rehearsal process, it was just Ansel [Elgort, who plays Tony] and I and handful of Jets, and we started to work on “Cool.” There wasn’t a script yet, for that first month of rehearsals, so it was mostly for them to get Ansel and me into shape — learning this choreo, then explaining the story and the context of that number.

Did you film that sequence on a soundstage?

That was a set in Sunset Park in Brooklyn over the East River. One of the Jets, Harrison Coll, who’s in that number, his father had passed away recently. We had been rehearsing that number for four or five months at this point, and when we finally finished, on that last day of shooting, Harrison brought his dad’s ashes and we went to the East River right there. We actually sang “Jet Song” and Harrison said a little something and thanked his dad and then he released his dad’s ashes into the East River. It was something that was transcendent and we really valued the experience.

“Jet Song” is one of Riff’s iconic numbers. What did that mean to you, particularly as it’s depicted in this version of the film?

Where we start with the Jets, they are on the brink of destruction. They are done but they just don’t realize it yet. They’re saying, “When you’re a Jet, you stay a Jet” — on top of a mound of rubble.

Did you feel particularly bonded to the other actors who played your fellow Jets?

I felt it was my personal obligation that we become a tribe. After the first day of rehearsal, we all went out to the bar down the street. Sans Baby John [the young gang member, played by Patrick Higgins], because he’s not old enough. [Laughs.] And I said, “Look, this one’s ours. This is our story and this is our version. You guys are a part of that.” I handed out assignments; “Jet-tivities” is what I called them. And no matter what it was, we all had to do it. We did a whole bunch of shenanigans that summer.

Are there any you can safely discuss?

We went to upstate New York and bought a full arsenal of Nerf guns. There’s video of us setting up this relay race in a house, having to shoot all these red plastic Solo cups from different angles. We did LARPing. It’s brutal, man. It looks like something totally nerdy, but then you’re there and you’re getting tackled by someone and shot in the private areas by arrows. We played laser tag once. I wanted them to feel like they were a part of something bigger. That way, when the cameras rolled, they just were there.

Did you have the opportunity to confer with Russ Tamblyn, who played Riff in the original film?

He did come to set and hung out for a day. He told us anecdotes, what the experience was like for him. But in terms of approaching the work, I’m not Russ Tamblyn. Only Russ Tamblyn is Russ Tamblyn. I can’t try to emulate or mimic what he does. And I didn’t want to. I think it would have done a disservice to try to incorporate him. It would have been an insult to what he brought.

The new film’s release was delayed by a year because of the pandemic. How did you feel when you learned it was being postponed?

I actually was relieved. Steven and I had a phone conversation last year, around September, when they were deciding whether they were going to release the film. At the time, I said to him, if no one ever saw this movie, it wouldn’t change anything to me. The experience of making the movie was everything. I meant it, but I’m an idiot and I take it all back now. Because if we’re going to show it, you want people to see it. After I had seen the film at the New York premiere, I ran into Steven in the lobby. And I said to him, I got to relive the experience of making the movie. I think when people see this, we give them a taste of that. I think this movie is a real testament to why a theatrical experience is important.

Interview by: Dave Itzkoff

Find here: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/27/movies/mike-faist-west-side-story-riff.html

[neverbesokind]

How was Hadestown Gilly?!

LITERALLY amazing.

I was so lucky to be in New York the same weekend Reeve Carney was doing his final shows as Orpheus, so the mood was so excited and loving and he is just such a wonderful and warm and lovely Orpheus.

The rest of the cast I was unfamiliar with, but all SO amazing. We actually had the understudy for Hermes, which at first I was sad about because Lillias White is so amazing and I would have loved to see her. However, her understudy, Malcolm Armwood, was SOOOO great. I don't even know why I worried.

Betty Who is the current Persephone and they really took me aback. I really feel like Persephone was the character I most felt the difference between cast recording and stage - she is in a ton of songs I didn't realize she was in, always emoting and showing her perspective on things. Betty also had such a humor and humbleness in the role - really loved them.

Huge highlight was Solea Pfeiffer as Eurydice - her voice is gorgeous gorgeous and she really shone. I do think she lacked the chemistry with Reeve that Eva had (for reasons that feel understandable for me, Eva and Reeve are literally dating irl), but she was so amazing and I look forward to seeing her flourish as Jordan Fischer takes over as Orpheus.

The stage was also sooooo cool. I know it so well and STILL I gasped at some of the reveals and stage effects.

Anyway, lifechanging experience. I feel SO lucky.

[imanopossum]

you met the cast?? That's so cool! What did you guys talked about?

yes!!!

when i talked with louis we were mostly talking about how misunderstood he is. “henry needs a hug!” “he DOES doesn’t he!” we were really agreeing on everything, that he wasn’t inherently evil but his environment aka mistreatment from virginia, brenner, the lab as well as the mind flayer contributed to why he is the way he is. comparison to anakin of course because of how similar their stories are, and lucifer, fallen angel trope. you could tell he really cares about henry and invests a lot of effort into portraying him accurately, and that he appreciated someone seeing eye to eye and nerding out with him about henry. also i showed him my scar on my hand bc henry has a scar on his hand too and he held my hand to look at it “matching!”, and before we left we hugged, he was literally the sweetest

patrick was absolutely hilarious, we mostly talked about how he played brenner and what it was like playing such a heartless villain. it was so jarring seeing him so cruel and creepy on stage and then in real life he has such a sense of humor 😭😭

i talked with ella and told her that patty was one of my new favorite characters, she was so appreciative and sweet! i asked her if she had any clue if patty might come back in season five but she either didn’t know or couldn’t say she knew! we also talked about how important she really was with being the only thing that kept henry grounded and sane, and them being separated absolutely contributed to his downfall. she was the only one who made him feel normal, and was the first person to understand him and love him despite him thinking he was such a bad person. we both thought if she does come back in s5 it could definitely be for the cipher journal he gave her which might be important? or as a redemption of some kind, to snap him out of the mind flayers control like she did when she told him she loved him, because their love was the only thing that was able to conquer the mind flayer

isabella was really genuine and humble, (they all were tho!) she remembered me because we actually bumped into eachother on the street before the show and we had a good laugh about that! (also people were saying we looked alike 😭) my mom loves joyce so they talked a lot about how cool it felt for isabella to play a beloved iconic character from the show

chris was also super funny!! he was almost like bob personality-wise himself! same thing with my mom loving bob and talking to him about that😭

i didn’t get to meet oscar who plays hopper, we had an understudy that night and i don’t think he came out to greet fans!

overall the cast is some of the nicest people i’ve ever met, and i think that if you were to meet them again they would remember you, they’re the kind of actors who love their fans and connect with them because we all love the characters they play so dearly.

[cnwolf-brainrot]

Writing Patterns (Tag Game)

Rules: list the first line of your last 10 (posted) fics and see if there's a pattern!

Thanks to @42donotpanic for tagging me!!

“You mean you made all of us listen to Stick to the Status Quo on repeat for a month straight just for you to get cast as Chad’s understudy?” (Stick to the Status Quo)

Winter had never been Kurt’s favorite season. (Attachment Therapy)

“...can you just leave me alone?” (You See What I Want (but what do I need?))

Shouting. Footsteps. Screaming. Blood. (In The Walls)

The fog was beginning to get annoying. (I Don't Hear What You Don't See (AU-gust 2023))

Clint was really starting to wish that he had drained the coffee pot when he had the chance. (Evaluation)

The weird blast felt… weird. (In Another's Shoes)

There is nothing quite like alcohol to facilitate incoherent, inexplicable laughter. (Like an Echo)

In 16 years, Scott Summers had seen more broken bones than he would care to admit. (Things Happen)

"Yes!” Quill crowed, throwing his arms up in the air as he did. (Too Broken to Fix)

I think the biggest thing that I do with my first lines is try to establish an idea or theme that will come back later in the story. About half of these are repeated verbatim later in the story, which is especially impactful (I hope) in the multichapter ones! Even if they don't return word-for-word, I usually use whatever concept is established in the first sentence (things like the understudy role, the idea of being left alone, the coffee, laughter, etc) throughout the story to push the plot. The only one on here that doesn't really follow that is "Too Broken To Fix", which is actually really fitting because that was actually a re-post of a fic I wrote back in 2019; kind of cool to see that my writing style really has changed, even just based off of the first lines!

Tagging @honeylashofficial and anyone else who wants to do this!! <3

[andrewlloydwebber]

Okay I realized I was so consumed with making sure anon knew

Mark Seibert wird das Phantom spielen

That I never answered the other part of the question. So here is my Vienna revival cast speculation/hopes

To be honest, I have not really kept up with German language musical theatre these past few years, at least not like I used to, so there's probably some obvious candidates I'm missing. So this is my list that is heavily skewed towards people who have been in Schikaneder or in Phantom before (in different roles or as understudies). Also some of these people are probably booked with other projects.

Christine: I've said for a while I thought Milica Jovanović would be a great choice. Not sure it will happen this time around though. But I'm fairly certain that Lillian Maandag will get a shot at the role in some capacity. Just a gut feeling especially because I anticipate a lot of the Rebecca cast auditioning and being cast in Phantom at the same theatre. Would be cool to see her sisters Annemarijn (who played the role in Oberhausen) or Willemijn Maandag getting a chance too. And I know Mercedesz Csampai is very busy with lots of projects but I still want her to return to the role of Christine.

Phantom: As we've established, Mark Seibert will play the Phantom. But I'm pretty sure there will be an alternate/standby/double casting situation. I think Thomas Borchert would like to return to the role based on social media. It's probably going to be someone who played Krolock tbh. I think I would like Robert David Marx to be an understudy Phantom because he took some cool photos of the Dance of the Vampires cast and I listened to his voice and liked it. Other names that frequently get thrown around like Jan Amman could be cool. I would not be shocked if Lucius Wolter is a Phantom cover, he was a Raoul understudy in Essen (appearing in the infamous Uwe Kröger video).

Raoul: I liked Florian Peters in Schikaneder and Mozart, plus he's engaged to Lillian, so it would be cute to see them together. I also like James Park as an option based on what I've heard and his past roles. I wonder if we'll see Oedo Kuipers return as principal Raoul. And I hope Toby Joch is in the cast, he was legendary on social media and I liked him as Raoul on audio.

Carlotta: I am a big fan of former Christines returning as Carlotta, so maybe Colleen Besett? I also am thinking of Katja Reichert. Karin Seyfried played Meg in the original Vienna production and has since played more legit musical theatre singing roles like Jellyorum in Cats, it would be cool to see her as Carlotta or Giry.

Managers: Thorsten Tinney, Hardy Rudolz, Martin Pasching, Armin Kahl?

Madame Giry: I really really want Eva Maria Bender to return to the show. Ana Milva Gomes or Silke Braas-Wolter or Shari Lynn Stewen or Maya Hakvoort if she decides to break away from Elisabeth concerts.

Meg Giry: Myrthes Monteiro! She was a ballerina in the original Brazilian production and is now based in Germany.

Piangi: Reinwald Kranner? Raymond Sepe returning? Chris Georgetti surprise return? That one is wishful thinking, I think VBW is less likely to cast random Americans that Stage Entertainment and also as much as I'd love to see some Broadway cast members in the show again, I think it's pretty unlikely we see that happen.

[omniuravity]

Ranking Every Musical I've Seen Live

Mean Girls:

I was super excited to see this live since I liked the music, but it was all kinda mediocre. It's a bit more raunchy than the original movie. The cast was great though.

Hadestown:

This was my 16th birthday gift and I enjoyed it a lot. The musical didn't have much dialogue like Falsettos or Hamilton, but it was super cool. The band was on stage and they only used a table and a few chairs to tell the story which was nice. It's a good show though.

Moulin Rouge!:

This was a surprise since I didn't listen to the soundtrack before going into the musical. I've also never really liked jukebox musicals, but it was great. I love the musical and the story broke me especially at the end.

The Lion King:

This musical is gorgeous to look at and I love the original songs for the musical. I did see this on a school trip, so it was a bit crowded, but it was amazing. I also accidentally ran into Mufasa's actor as I was going to the bathroom. He was getting ready for his death scene, and I accidentally ran into him. I think the musical is fantastic, if you're a Disney fan I recommend it.

Wicked:

I was debating between this and my number 2 choice, but I think this belongs here. Wicked is gorgeous and I'm super excited for the movie. It's beautiful and the actors were incredible. I love it a lot.

The Book of Mormon:

This musical is absolutely hilarious and caught me off guard. I did know that the creators of South Park did write it, but I wasn't sure how funny dunking on Mormonism would be in a musical form. It's a gorgeous and hilarious satire, but it's also just a well written story.

Beetlejuice:

This might be because I saw this on New York, closing week, with the original cast (minus Alex Brightman since he got a concussion). This musical is funny and does add onto the movie in a meaningful way. It has a lot of beautiful and well made sets and Alex's understudy was incredible. I had a wonderful time and laughed a lot.