#dave malloy the man that you are

[shotbyafool]

it looks so normal and almost lame written out, but “and when Andrei comes home he will challenge Anatole to a duel and get himself killed and all will be ruined” is just such a fuuuuucking killer musical moment.

[felizusnavidad]

and the driver can’t stop..and the victim can’t climb..

...and the pusher can't stop! and the photographer doesn't help!!!

and the driver has a drink, and the victim has a drink, and the pusher has a drink, and the photographer has a drink!

[thalassous]

gird up your loins.

LIKE A MAN.

— seasons greetings, and happy holidays @this-is-a-dystopian-parable !! i listened to clown bible for the very first time drawing this, and i can safely say it made me so much worse in all of the best ways! fantastic taste my friend!!

[ A BUNCH OF EXTRAS BELOW, THIS IS A WILDLY LONG POST OH MY GOD (pun intended) ]

[ ID: An animated GIF of God, Samson, Solomon, and Job from Clown Bible. God stands in front of a cloth window with a grimace on her face. The upper torsos of Samson with the text, "you don't know •", Solomon with the text, "what it's like•", and Job with the text, "to be•" flash in succession. When Job flashes past, God closed her eyes and tries to get a look at him, but is met with the blank cloth with the word, "me.", and a butterfly next to it. END ID ]

+ the much nicer og picture with our bestie job,

[jojotier]

ghost quartet is one of those amazing musicals that the first time you see it and the full brunt of it settles on you, your brain chemistry gets changed, and then on every subsequent relisten theres diminishing returns until you realize youre just looking at this self contained circular story which cares more about justifying its own metacontextual existence of storytelling and being experimental instead of caring about having characters strong enough to keep you coming back or like. good music.

[lizzypuppet1711]

things about toronto’s production of the great comet at crow’s theatre/musical stage co that i need everyone to know about because i am obsessed with this show.

as of writing i have seen this show five times.

very long under the cut:

full cast listed here. at time of writing, donna garner replaces louise pitre as marya, tyler pearse replaces lawrence libor as dolokhov, and ben carlson replaces marcus nance as andrey/bolkonsky. currently i’ve seen the og cast four times and the replacements once.

the stage is set up with seats on three out of four sides, with front rows at tables, back of house left and right sides at barstools, and a small balcony with some seats on house right. there are balconies on either side, with a revolving platform in the middle of the stage (revolving by being pushed by cast members or stagehands). seats around 200 people or so.

the actors are EVERYWHERE. it is so incredibly immersive

the music is very punchy

during prologue, everyone is taking shots as they’re introduced, except dolokhov, who drinks straight from the bottle and sprays it into the air

i’m a dolokhov girlie through and through and once he nodded hello at me during the prologue and i legit swooned

mary is walking around holding a program showing off the family tree, actors will point to them on tables etc

once anatole pointed at his face on it, pointed to himself, all in a very flirty manner

he winked at me during prologue once and i’m still thinking about it

evan buliung is acting his ass off as pierre

he is definitely is more gruff and acting focused (think dave malloy over josh groban)

at “hours at my screen”, pierre takes an audience member’s phone (from one of the tables… or once out of someone’s hands LMAO) and mimes tapping, scrolling through it etc

two stagehands move things on and offstage (such as the sofa, church props etc) and they are also in little costumes. it’s very adorable

dolokhov’s little soldier walk thing??? during moscow????? i’m sure there’s a reason for it bc both of them do it but i have no clue why it’s there???? love it tho

heeyun park as mary is also acting her damn heart out

private and intimate life has a faster tempo and is SUCH a banger as a result

an audience member gets briefly pulled up on the platform to be the cheap french thing, he typically kisses up their arm, hugs them, and sometimes sits on their lap a bit

pierre is playing the tambourine in the background during natasha and bolkonskys and it is honestly kind of funny

hailey gillis plays natasha very emotional and headstrong. her no one else has a sense of urgency, desperation, and deep longing

the platform is spinning and people are walking around and she is singing like an angel…

basically i want to be hailey gillis when i grow up

actors are rotating the platform during no one else and it ends with andrey standing behind her and pierre standing in front of her. no one talk to me i’m losing it

as the run has continued, dolokhov’s adlibs during his intro in the opera have increased drastically

lawrence libor as dolokhov had such an air and presence (rizz?) about himself i cannot DESCRIBE. the comphet he gave me… i miss him v much. he was also very much giving toronto mans. and he made SO MUCH eye contact. he loves to look at you. i miss him. i need him. who said that

tumblr theatre girlies you would go insane over lawrence libor. if this show had ANY b roll footage i know i would be seeing edits all over the place

i am president of the lawrence libor fan club and everyone should join me

tyler pearse as dolokhov has heavy frat boy energy. he is also gayer, and somehow, sluttier. gives short king energy despite only being an inch shorter than lawrence (apparently)??? don’t ask bc i don’t know either he just does. anyway thank u tyler pearse for making dolokhov bisexual for real

either way dolokhov is doing SO MUCH in this production. he is wild he is a whirling dervish he is arrogant he is a bastard he is everything to me

“YEAH BABEY LETS GOOOOOOO” -lawrence libor as dolokhov, upon his entrance

in one performance he would go YEAH BABEY three separate times in act 1. yeahh

flirting with a girl in the balcony, dabbing up a guy in the balcony, generally being hilarious

and tyler pearse leaning over the balcony, rose in his mouth, wolf howling… i can’t.

basically i can’t with this production’s dolokhov. i’m obsessed

anatole’s entrance… he’s a whore. all i can say

rita dottor (ensemble) does the high soprano bravooooooo and she always sounds so fantastic. live laugh love rita dottor

george krissa, who plays anatole, is probably the most attractive man in ontario. like if you googled hot guy he would be the first result.

“where did they find this anatole. was he made in a lab or something. he was perfect” — my friend after seeing it

tumblr theatre girlies you would also be obsessed with george krissa. like jeremy jordan andrew rannells level obsessed. please love these toronto actors with me

i’d let him ruin my life ANY DAY. it is a fact that lesbians love george krissa. i hope he knows

the way he plays it… my friend described it like “lucas steele is like an alien david bowie, and george krissa is a bridgerton man. just a very charismatic, but normal, guy”

while i would say that lucas steele’s anatole believes he is truly in love with natasha, i would not say the same for george krissa’s. some of the manipulation happening here during the opera is. quite clear

when he is entering the box natasha struggles to open her fan, fans herself frantically, under the arms etc. then when he enters immediately shifts to fanning in a cool and collected manner. hailey gillis master of comedy

“we are speaking of most ordinary things” is especially like. this is a male manipulator if i’ve ever seen one

natasha lost was added back in!! fantastic obviously

anatole checking his hair in the mirror before waking pierre up. fucker

“look dolokhov’s coming around… and we’re off to the CLEURB”

brendan wall (ensemble) walking around during the club scene with a glowstick necklace on is peak comedy to me

i’ve said it but tyler’s dolokhov is an absolute slut at this scene. and for what AND FOR WHAT!!!!

also fun tidbit but all the glasses (other than shots) and any clear bottles have real liquid in them. i am very concerned something will spill one day

when dolokhov gets right up in the audience’s face during “known only to his intimates” i LOVE it idk

during the duel, marya and rita steal off to house left directly beside the barstools and chatter about how bad of an idea this is, they’re so drunk, etc

special shout out to divine’s “he will kill you STOOPID HUSBAND” so good

dolokhov’s adlibs during the duel… i need him. sorry

dolokhov gets shot in the side rather than his shoulder, and unceremoniously rolls off the platform as it’s moving. looks painful

hélène screams when dolokhov is shot but not pierre. so much to think about here

a life changing dust and ashes from evan. i can’t describe anything more just that he’s incredible. i’ve learned so much about acting just by watching him a few times

natasha’s face at “am i guilty…” breaks my heart she is so tormented

we are canadians we are going to pronounce our french correctly! no more charmantay

hélène has started adding some very fun runs into charming as the run has gone on. divine brown marry me

anatole is shirtless during charming. btw.

again i know he’s gay and i’m gay but.

the entirety of this rendition of the ball has been stuck in my head since december

his “don’t lower your eyes i love you” that whole section is delicious i want to eat his voice

plus “BEWITCHING AND I LOVE YOUUU” UGHHH such an ear worm but only when it’s their voices

the choreo going on here is very nice btw

i love the way he says natalie at this part idk. it’s not overly enunciated and the vowel is just right <— vocal nerd

the kiss feels like it lasts forever

music gets very very loud at the end and you can feel it in your skin

also fun fact the house music before and after the show is orchestral but during intermission it’s electronic. bc. anatole. gah details

when marcus was still in the cast you could really hear his voice during letters and it sounded sooooo.

dolokhov’s stupid little thumbs up to indicate he will be ok. pleaseee. i laughed i did

generally lawrence would grab at the place he was shot at a lot; while pushing the revolve etc. loved that detail. (tyler does too but less so)

sonya and natasha just sounds so great. like they just always sound fantastic i love that song

sonya alone. yes i am weeping. yes camille eanga-selenge is everything i want to be and more. she’s phenomenal

dolokhov sitting in a big fuckin chair at the beginning of preparations just absolutely clearly regretting every decision he’s made to facilitate this. is great.

i know i keep talking abt lawrence libor but the image of him at this part is just. really great. to me. sorry

very campy and exaggerated scowling and grimacing from anatole

dolokhov is so sick of anatole’s shit

“here feel how it beats” is NOT entertained he pushes him back immediately

lawrence dolokhov’s “dawdling” business was him tuning his guitar i miss musician dolokhov sooooo much gah

balaga truly does not sing any of his lines. he is basically yelling the entire time. i don’t know how he does it. it’s chaotic and hilarious and so fun

sonya and mary hand out the egg shakers on house right and left respectfully

near the end of balaga, four audience members are brought up to dance with the cast! (i got to dance with mary once!)

dolokhov writhing on the floor during anatole’s long held note thank u

during the goodbye section, anatole comes around to said audience members and interacts with them; dancing with them, booping them on the nose etc, and at “kiss me one last time”, invites a lucky audience member to kiss his cheek. (this once, was me. yup. still processing it.)

once he accidentally knocked someone’s egg shaker from their hand, dolokhov picked it up, laughed, gave it a shake, and handed it back, and yes i’m still thinking about it

when they sit down, balaga and dolokhov will sit on the house right stairs, though once there was an empty seat nearby so dolokhov wedged his way in between two people, guitar and all. so fucking good

anatole will squeeze himself between two audience members on house left, put an arm around each, and look around at everyone sitting in that area, out into the audience, etc. if one is going to make eye contact with him, it is now

once he threw his head back to look at the people behind him, and someone, at the speed of light, took their phone out and snapped a picture of his upside down head. i scream laughed

lawrence’s BETRAYED BETRAYEDDDD was sooooo good. so so so good

hailey gillis is an absolute powerhouse during in my house

usually when “natasha’s whole body shook” she falls to the ground silently but last time i went she YELLED and i gasped so loud

at “i have refused him” louise would go NO in shock and i FREAK OUT ABOUT IT.

and i loved her “what then? would that be alright???”

“NATASHA CRIED OUT! GO AWAY! GO AWAY YOU ALL HATE AND DESPISE ME” sounds SO FUCKING GOOD!!! I LOVE YOU HAILEY GILLIS

when the call to pierre music starts i always get goosebumps

the fight choreo when pierre grabs anatole by the collar is very good

if we’re comparing to broadway, it feels less like anatole’s life is in danger here but like i’m not upset about it

at this point anatole does not seem sad or upset to me more just. pissed off that it didn’t go his way. like annoyed

as anatole leaves during pierre and anatole the staging has him stepping around/over natasha as she is choking from the arsenic and it is such a. show of his shallowness

his petersburg note is fantastic obviously. live laugh love george krissa

marcus nance (andrey) has such a deep and beautiful legit singing voice. it’s sooo gorgeous. any word that raises against marcus nance will fall.

I MISS HIMMMM ok sorry.

i am more sympathetic to ben carlson’s andrey, however. marcus was Incredibly stoic ben has a bit more emotion to him i think

i could swear sometimes hailey is actually crying during pierre and natasha

her “pytor kirillovich” sounds so tiny and fragile ugh my heart breaks

and his “…pierre” is so assuring AUGHH

it’s such a beautiful scene obviously. i love the two of them so damn much i hope only good things happen to them forever

“it was clear and cold” also. chills EVERY TIME

“having traced its parabola” and “like an arrow piercing the earth” hit me so hard i cannot explain

genuinely evan buliung gives the most effective inspiring fantastic mind blowing performance i maybe have ever seen on stage. he is such an incredible actor and he inspires me beyond belief

the end when the lights get really really bright and then fade out. god. so simple and so fucking beautiful

now this post is very long. thank u for reading it all if you did! (will update after seeing it more times if there’s things to say!!)

if you’re anywhere near toronto i BEG of you to go see it!! it’s closing march 24th :(( so if you get the chance i deeply implore you. beg borrow or steal a ticket just get there! best comet production ever in my biased opinion :)

[breadharmskoi]

it’s posting about four friends ghost quartet time!!!  fun lil bar song about drinking whiskey, for sure, but the way that each of the whiskies and their descriptions corresponds with the OG characters of whoever’s singing.

“evan williams / you dirty-faced, scruffy-kneed boy” - not even strictly the bear, just following brent’s ‘bad men’ characters in general.  scruffy like bear fur, dirty-faced as a bad man is.

“oh jameson / you dignified righteous young man” - idk why this parallel to rose just GETS me.  like if you had to describe rose red’s vibe in one phrase, then this would be it???  dignified, sure - she’s the starchild, she’s in love, she’s a mother and a sister and she’s trying her damnedest to get all these items.  but righteous, my god - no one in the show is more righteous than brittain’s characters.  the way she literally went through several lifetimes out of spite just to get revenge on her sister.  “get over yourself, mom!” and “so why don’t you just shut up?  why don’t you, just have another fucking drink, and shut the fuck up?” and “why don’t you just go fuck all your fucking books / and we’ll see who’s smarter / oh, we’ll see”.  (and yes, maybe this is just me being in love with all of brittain ashford’s line deliveries, but i digress.)  and young?  yeah, she’s young.  she’s the kind of cruel that only a spurned young lover could be.  (also i’m trans and an expert in genderfuckery.  rose being described as a man just feels right.  she’s the type of brash and violent and vindictive and petty and wrong that characters who are women are so very rarely allowed to be.  kissing dave malloy on the mouth for this one, fr)

“oh, maker’s mark / you sweet little temptress, you” - this one just makes me giggle.  if anything, this is the description that made it snap for me.  the astronomer is the temptress!  he’s the love interest, the tip of the love triangle that all this shit started with because he couldn’t keep it in his pants!  (dude, with her sister?  fucked up and evil, fr).  but like, no matter the storyline, he’s the lover.  (except for maybe the arabian nights storyline - but even then he takes on a romantic role, serenading thelonious monk on the piano every night.)  the way he fuckin.  gave the photographer his number after he fucking ran the victim over.  like please man.

“lagavulin / you lovely lady of the lochs” - pearl literally drowned in a river.  lmfao L my queen

[johnradams]

So. Back in the day I had the worst parasocial relationship & obsession with Dave Malloy okay.

And a series of events led me to finding his Mom on instagram and consuming her page ravenously. I want to say this was not to do anything like nefarious with the insider info on Malloy from his moms page or anything it was simply a feral autistic teen hoarding info about their hyperfixation like a dragon hoards gold.

Anyway Mrs Dave Malloy's Mom followed me back on instagram (the account was called davemoolloy if u recall it hello). at this point my account was not even really a dave malloy fan page, it was mostly my personal instagram. I deleted it during a social media related breakdown and I regret that, because it had a lot of memories on it, including this stuff I'm sharing with you right now. But anyway. I'm not sure what exactly was on there. But I know I was really in the mental health pits and shared a lot of truth about that there.

I posted something probably about wanting to off myself and literally began it with "Man I'm so sorry Mrs. Dave Malloy's Mom is going to have to read this" because she had become a regular commenter. The only other regular commenter was my best friend "irl" (when we say in real life, this is a lie to protect us. it is all real. it is all real life.) so it was special that this lady was there. She commented on that post telling me not to feel bad and that she was glad she was there. I made a very 2019 silly edit of her with a crown on and sent it to her calling her my queen. And she wasn't weird about it.

Through this entire thing where I committed many social faux pas including being obsessed with an american musical theatre composer and having it as a goal of my theatre career to work with him, she was so so so kind to me.

I just recently remembered this very randomly, as truthfully I have a lot of those years mentally locked up. But I dmed her from my new account (davemoolloy is long gone) to let her know how much her kindness meant to me and wish her well. I hope she sees it.

Idk just wanted to share as I've been thinking on it ever since I remembered this a day or so ago. Kindness changes the world, friends.

[5nake-eater]

When Dave Malloy wrote, “I see fire in the darkness rage against the void. I see every time man cried out and raised his sword against God,” reblog if you agree

[this-is-a-dystopian-parable]

Man I just realized that. I'm kinda near Berkeley. I'm where Dave worked with Banana Bag & Bodice & The Shotgun Players on Beowulf. I'm where Dave did Clown Bible. There is nothing stopping me from spending my day just. going to theaters where my favorite shows happened 15 years ago.

Thank you Kevin for pointing this out to me calling Dave "local legend Dave Malloy" I didn't even consider that all of it was so close.

[in-cara-gible]

dave malloy lyrics that make me want to transcend and vomit this loser out of me

- i feel like putting my arms around my knees and squeezing tight as possible

- and no one grew into anything new we just became the worst of what we were

- well what if im not big enough to take in so much pain

- i was empty then and im empty now but it's not the same at all

- i could be so good at love

- i don't wanna think everything I know that you are terrified i think

- i was okay once i can be okay again ive not gone crazy just yet

- i love the way you see the world i love the way your soul sings i wish that i could sing like you i wish that i could feel things

- and im so clueless when it comes to anything that actually matters

- oh you fool you fool its all within myself

- if i were not myself but the brightest handsomest best man on earth and if i were free i would get down on my knees this minute and ask you for your hand and for your love

[fibula-rasa]

Seen in ’23: Annual Roundup

Top new-to-me films of ‘23 

(in the order I saw them, not preference)

The Blizzard / Gunnar Hedes saga (1923) [imdb | letterboxd]

The Rafter’s Bride / Koskenlaskijan morsian (1923) [imdb | letterboxd]

Funeral Parade of Roses / 薔薇の葬列 (1969) [letterboxd | imdb]

Dorian Gray in the Mirror of the Yellow Press / Dorian Gray im Spiegel der Boulevardpresse (1984) [letterboxd | imdb]

Drylongso (1998) [letterboxd | imdb]

The Cruz Brothers and Miss Malloy (1980) [letterboxd | imdb]

The Burning Crucible / Le Brasier ardent (1923) [letterboxd | imdb]

Let’s Scare Jessica to Death (1971) [letterboxd | imdb]

Merry-Go-Round (1923) [letterboxd | imdb]

Dream Demon (1988) [letterboxd | imdb]

Mazel Tov / Ost und West (1923) [letterboxd | imdb]

The Signal Tower (1924) [letterboxd | imdb]

The Second Track / Das zweite Gleis (1962) [letterboxd | imdb]

Restless Blood / Levoton Veri (1946) [letterboxd | imdb]

The Man Without Desire (1923) [letterboxd | imdb]

Revolutionary Girl Utena: The Adolescence of Utena / 少女革命ウテナ アドゥレセンス黙示録 (1999) [letterboxd | imdb]

---

Honorable mention:

Ritratto di donna velata (1972) [letterboxd | imdb] (because it’s technically a mini-series)

Spirits of the Dead / Histoires extraordinaires (1968) [letterboxd | imdb] (because it would make the year-end list for “Toby Dammit” alone TBH)

So, according to letterboxd, only 33% of the films I watched in 2023 were rewatches. In an unexpected bit of consistency, that’s also my proportion of rewatches for ‘22 and ‘21. Sometimes crunching the numbers teaches you potentially meaningless things about yourself.

On my letterboxd, I put together a list of my top new-to-me films of ’23, in case you want an easier way to check if there’s anything you might want to add to your own watchlists!

READ ON BELOW THE JUMP!

As I continued my tradition of watching films as they turn 100, the 1920s was my most-watched decade as it was in 2022.

I was startled looking at the stats that the 1930s were so underrepresented! To ward that off in 2024, I think I’ll binge some pre-codes. Maybe we should all watch pre-codes in March 2024 to dishonor Will Hays on his birthday?

My top individual years were:

1923

1987

1986

1920

1911

1971 (unexpected!) 

1988

---

In another bit of unexpected consistency, I seem to have watched roughly 60% American-made films every year for the last 3 years?

Regardless, I think my MVP for this year was Finland. Teuvo Tulio is quickly becoming one of my favorite directors and the silent films from Finland that I watched this year were highlights too!

---

My most watched actors for 2023 were:

Alice Howell

James Finlayson

Stan Laurel

Snub Pollard

Katherine Grant

Marie Mosquini

Christopher Lee

Jackie Cooper

Lois Weber

Mabel Normand

Noah Young

Oliver Hardy

Richard Smith

Can you tell that I watched a ton of silent comedy in 2023? Of course Marie and Snub are making a return appearance here from last year, so I suppose I watched plenty of comedy shorts in ‘22 as well.

If you were only to count the feature films that I watched, Christopher Lee, Boris Karloff, Douglas Fairbanks, Vincent Price, and William Haines would top the list!

---

My most watched directors were:

Alice Guy

Dave Fleischer

George Jeske

Arthur Rankin Jr. & Jules Bass

Charley Chase

John G. Blystone

Lois Weber

Richard Smith

Maya Deren

Phillips Smalley

Another affirmation that I watched a whole lot of silent shorts, but this time because of the fantastic Pioneers: First Women Filmmakers set. I highly recommend picking up a copy (or checking it out of your local library). Not only is the set well curated, but there are so many great extras to put the films in context. 

For Christmas ‘23, I got the Cinema’s First Nasty Women set and I’m very excited to marathon those and be influenced into a year of behaving badly.

Maya Deren makes the list because I re-watched her films in advance of my cosplay/profile of her. If you haven’t dug into Deren’s short but fascinating filmography yet, I highly recommend it!

[ellekhen]

23 and 27 for Church 💖

23. What are 2-3 songs that your Tav would relate to?

(Couldn't decide so here's four, whooooops.)

My Silver Lining - First Aid Kit

True Faith - cover by Lotte Kestner

Somewhere Only We Know - Keane

Being Alive - Stephen Sondheim

+ Bonus for Mirrorverse Church because I feel like HURTIN’ today:

I’m Not Calling You a Liar - Florence + The Machine

Dust and Ashes - Dave Malloy

Drown Out - Swell Season

27. How does your Tav feel about giving and receiving orders?

(This is going to be long and probably far more elaborate than what the question asked.)

A decade before he was infected, Church would have given you a very different answer.

He always had it in his head that by escaping The Mother and becoming an adventurer, he’d be guaranteed a short, exciting life. This was fine with him — as long as his life meant something.

Because isn’t that what heroes in the legends and storybooks are supposed to do?

Make sacrifices of themselves, to save others?

As a young warlock, he was a follower eager to please and prove himself within the guild. He idolized a handful of “heroes” within his adventurers’ guild in Waterdeep — attaching himself to a few mentors along the way. He trusted them to tell him what to do to make things right, for why would they be wrong?

This changed quickly within a span of a few years. While still a young man, he began to question his mentor, especially when he made a call that nearly cost the lives of Church and several others during one of their assignments. Church ended up being the one to get them out of the cave-in alive, confronting his mentor back at the guild right as he was collecting the job’s pay.

His mentor tried to explain his reasoning for abandoning him and the rest of the party. Church didn’t envy his position of being the one to make such a call in the first place, but he vowed to do better, be better than his mentor.

A job is a job. He would rather keep his people alive than collect on a full payment. If it cost him his credibility, then… so be it.

At the very least, he trusted himself to care, which was more than his mentor did. He’d stress out the whole time, but if he had to lead to make sure his companions made it out alive, then he would gladly do it.

It didn’t help that this often involved putting himself in precarious situations to make sure the others made it out. It pissed off his Mother — his Archfey patron — to no end. It reaches a point where she even threatens to take away his magic entirely.

Years later, when he starts journeying with the other infected adventurers...

At first Church is relieved to meet Lae’zel — someone strong-willed who can tell him what to do in this bizarre situation, and who understands it more than he does. But as soon as he witnesses Lae’zel and Shadowheart clash, he realizes that they won’t make it out of the Nautiloid alive unless he speaks up and takes charge himself.

When Church wakes up on the beach, the first person he meets is Astarion, who he certainly doesn’t trust to make decisions for him. Fortunately, the rogue seems content to look to him as a leader, as do the others.

Church from the start prevents some of them from making rash decisions and literally killing each other. He’s terrified that they seem to trust him to make these calls, but also touched.

He won’t fail them.

He can’t fail them.

His instinct has always been to protect. But for once in his life, it no longer becomes about saving others at the expense of himself.

He’ll take charge because he wants them to live. And, in turn, he’ll still listen to his companions and follow them because he trusts that they also want to continue fighting, conversing, and laughing beside him.

For so long he vowed to die for those he loved. But now?

He wants to live for them.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thanks so much for asking, @artpigeons! ☺️

Here’s the original question list, if anyone wants to ask anything else!

[shotbyafool]

hi anna i just got back from seeing preludes!! sent you that ask a while ago thank you so much for your response it was absolutely wonderful. not at all what i was expecting from the little i knew going in but i could absolutely feel dave malloy in it. rach was such a modern feeling and relatable character in a way that i don’t feel exists in any of his other work and i loved it. i did end up bringing the person i was unsure about and, while i do think i was able to follow the story a bit better, he loved it as well. dave malloy king of musicals that make me want to stand up in my seat and start screaming at various points. also going to go spend the rest of my night reading about rachmaninoff

this ask is from a MONTH ago and I haven't replied because I'm terribly jealous but also because I was so anxiously awaiting your answer that I got too giddy to even read it fully. I am so delighted you went (objectively the correct move of course, I am just the messenger)! Dave Malloy king of musicals in general, end of sentence! I find Preludes so so upsetting and excellent and I am glad you found something in Rach; I find Rach to be, in simplest terms, Malloy's rawest fucking protag. and of course, he is not Malloy's invention, but what strikes me so much about Preludes and Great Comet is his way of pulling out these absolutely killer emotions and concepts from pre-existing characters or people that are not even his creation. like man, why did you come up with something like "Why am I screaming? / Why am I shaking? / Oh God, was there something that I missed? / Did I squander my divinity? / Was happiness within me the whole time?" for the author's self-insert in War and Peace? did you seriously have to do that to me at age 16? if someone let me get my hands on Moby Dick I'm sure I'd be completely losing it right now. but anyhow, again I repeat that I am jealous and that I am glad you had a wonderful time watching it (I wonder if it was less frightening than the recording? 'frightening' may be wrong; ominous? upsetting? again that sound design just truly shakes me to my core). anyhow I hope you listen to the recording too, if not to be frightened but to hear Gabriel Ebert's Rach and Nikki M. James' Natalya. insane stuff on that tiny little cast recording that they inexplicably made for Preludes!

[broadgay-shows]

oh my god unhinged ghost quartet theory real quick- and in true GQ form, it’s a recursive theory about theories.

Okay, we already know GQ is based on Into the Woods. Dave Malloy said so, and even used the piano voicing from Prologue for the”One pot of honey…” line. But I think the show is based off a specific part of Into the Woods!

You see, there are some theories that have been floating around for years and years now about Into the Woods. Strangely, I couldn’t find anything online about any of them, but when I worked on the show last year, almost everyone knew about them, so my guess is they have some spread. Basically, the theory is that Into the Woods is ALSO a “circular story-“ furthermore, Jack grows up to become the Narrator, the Baker grows up to be the Mysterious Man, and the baby grows up to be the Baker (I don’t know the theories behind cinderella and little red). The characters, having their wishes granted but still wanting more, are doomed to repeat the actions of their older counterparts.

So, my guess is Dave Malloy knew about these theories, and when he and the others began conceptualizing Ghost Quartet, they took the circular story-ness of it all and cranked it up to 100. That’s how we got a story where everyone is everyone all the time, destined to repeat their mistakes for eternity. I know, lots of fun. But I think it’s an interesting idea!

[epic-song-lyrics-showdown]

Random Assorted Artists with songs in the showdown Pt. 1

This is the first list of random artists that have been submitted. This is pretty much anyone that didn’t get many submissions. If you see a song and are like hey this should be somewhere else the answer is no. Unless there is a repeat of a song somewhere or the artist shows up on another list they are meant to be here. Check out the other lists here.

Sail - AWOLNATION

Sinners - Barns Courtney

My Frankenstein - Kody Kavitha

An Alien’s I Love You - Utsu-P

Beneath the Brine - The Family Crest

Gladiator - Jann

Light - Next to Normal

Gut Punch/Don’t Meet Your Idols - Everybody’s Worried About Owen

Us - Chxrlotte

It’s the end of the world as we know it - R.E.M.

Trouble - Valerie Broussard

A Meadow - Open Book

Serenade - Kamelot

The Bard’s Song: In the Forest - Blind Guardian

The Weekend Whip - The Fold

Achilles Come Down - Gang of Youths (Four different lyric submissions)

Farewell Kabarista - Vagabond Opera

Tango Dancer - Dave Malloy

Cold Day in Hell - Delta Rae

Still… - Sophia James

Mirrorball - Elbow

Waltz #2 (XO) - Elliott Smith

One More Try - Mariam-Teak Lee & Jordan Luke Gage

Marie - Townes van Zandt

City of Lights - The Music Tapes

Bloody Motherfucking Asshole - Martha Wainwright

On Melancholy Hill - Gorillaz

Don’t Let’s Start - They Might Be Giants

Touch - Daft Punk ft. Paul Williams

The Hounds - The Protomen

Infinite Lives - Mega Ran ft. D&D Sluggers

Nights Like These - Bears in Trees

Slumber - Slløtface

gum v6.4 - Devon Again

head - Devon Again

Dissociate - Atlas

Introduction to the Snow - Miracle Music

Wait for It - Hamilton Musical

Ice To Never - The Black Queen

Progress - The Dear Hunter

Warrior - Paradise Fears

Windowpane - Opeth

Voodoo Dust - Urfaust

Yen - Slipknot

Order - Heaven Pierce Her / Hakita

VI: Sons of Fate - The Protomen

Charlie’s Inferno - That Handsome Devil

Paradox - Survive Said the Prophet

This Too Shall Pass - Danny Schmidt

Light - Chonny Jash

Mad IQs - I DONT KNOW HOW BUT THEY FOUND ME

Worms - AlicebanD

The Mighty Echo - The Family Crest

Ride - Bligh

Jesus Christ - Brand New

Your Heart is a Muscle the Size of Your Fist - Ramshackle Glory

The Summoning - Sleep Token

In The End - Black Veil Brides

Don’t Break Me - Milo Murphy’s Law Soundtrack

For You - Barenaked Ladies

Sober - Tool

Bullets - Archive

Relay - Fiona Apple

Let Me Stay - Heather Maloney

New Radio - Bikini Kill

The Marriage of Bigfoot and Mothman - The Forgetmenauts

What’s With You Lately - Car Seat Headrest

Armarillo - Gorillaz

Dark Lover: A Love Song To A Vampire - Tempest

Smile Like You Mean It - Tally Hall

Fine, I’m Fine - Chonny Jash

Rightfully - Mili

Give It to Me - The Northern Boys

We’re All Leaving - Karine Polwart

Matches - SIFU HOTMAN

Unbroken - Man on the Internet

Hell’s Comin’ With Me - Poor Man’s Poison

Necromancin Dancin - Bear Ghost

I Got No Time - The Living Tombstone

Labyrinth - Miracle Musical

Hello and Goodbye - JT Music

A Poem - AJJ

People 2: The Reckoning - AJJ

Your Voice, As I Remember It - AJJ

The River - Bruce Springsteen

Jungleland - Bruce Springsteen

You Only Know - PhemieC

Girls in Love - PhemieC

Evidence - DaisyxDaisy

Portrait of a Woman on a Couch With Cats - Michael Cera Palin

The Moss - Cosmo Sheldrake

Found (Forever) - Caamp

4 Morant (Better Luck Next Time) - Doja Cat, Com Truise

Box Fort Baby - Papa Jake

Flowers - Eva Noblezada (Hadestown)

You - Keaton Henson

rock + roll - EDEN

Tourniquet - Leanna Firestone

Close to Home - Vienna Teng

Spring and a Storm - Tally Hall

You’re the Reason I Don’t Want the World to End - The Wonder Years

I Earn My Life - Lemon Demon

Twisted - Team Starkid

Time, As A Symptom - Joanna Newson

The Party - Regina Spektor

I’m Just Your Problem - Rebecca Sugar (in Adventure Time)

[cometzz]

ok im also doing these ghost quartet asks except im answering all of them so you all have to see my opinions. thanks @wolf-tm

1. Favorite character

soldier or camera shop rose

2. Favorite timeline

hmmm stardust (idk if everyone calls it that - scheherazade's timeline) or usher. or camera shop. three-way tie

3. Favorite song

changes by the day but bad men/soldier & rose rn

4. Favorite performer?

gelsey <3 need her bad

5. Live album or recordrd album?

live. the recorded version makes me angry it takes away so much personality

6. How much of the plot do you think you understand?

all of it. or at least i fully understand my interpretation of it. but analyzing this for 2-odd years gives you a bit of knowledge i think

7. Least favorite song/song u skip most often

photograph. its a great song but i dont like listening to gelsey screams while walking my dogs or whatever

8. Favorite non-sung/spoken line?

pearls "and it's the LAST piano in the world and it's KEYS cut his fingers with every note he plays" monologue. or roses "FUCK ALL YOUR FUCKING BOOKS" rant

9. Favorite lyric

very difficult choice but "if i told you this was special / and that love is more than chemicals / it's me and you and angels too / and time will end and we'll transcend / and rise above the ash and dirt / and baby i could never hurt you, 'cause you are me" or "how many people has rose been? / rose is the same as anyone else"

10. Do you have any ships for the show? If so what are they?

soldierrose. they are so important to me

11. What's your favorite non-confirmed theory?

idk LOL

12. Have you produced any artwork/content for Ghost Quartet?

drew all of the roses one time and i've drawn a few gelseys but thats abt it

13. Which role would you most like to play?

rose <3 (or would you call the role 'brittain'?)

14. Which Usher song is your favorite?

usher iii no competition

15. The Starchild, Roxie, Rose, or Rose Red?

rose. her awkward loserness has endeared me

16. Subway or the Photograph?

subway no competition

17. Four Friends or Any Kind of Dead Person?

any kind of dead person. or specifically gelseys four friends verse LOL

18.  The Gelsey/Brittain dance in Monk or the Dave/Brittain dance in Midnight?

gelsey/brittain dance tho the dave/brittain dance makes me feel things too

19. The Astronomer or The Telescope

hm. the telescope. both are good though

20. Fathers & Sons, or Lights Out?

fathers & sons

21. Tango Dancer or Hero?

very hard choice but hero because i love Brittain Ashford Depression Solos

22. How did you first get into Ghost Quartet

after i got into great comet i saw a lot of people talking abt gq so i checked it out and now i am forever changed. i don't remember how i got into great comet though LOL

23. When did you first start listening?

2021

24. What's your favorite moment (musical or vocal) in the show?

that is such a difficult choice what the hell..... if i had to choose one itd be the overlapping parts in subway but. "you drove that train right through my HEAAAAARARRrtRTRTt" or gelseys audible disappointment on "staring at my phone." or "arabian nights?" "yeah :)" "alright." or gelseys four friends verse or literally any other bit in the show is an honorable mention

25. Are you going to/have u seen Ghost Quartet?

NO (peter griffin dead image)

26. What's your favorite bizarre connection in the show? (E.g., edgar telling the story of pearl and the pusher in usher pt 3, Shah Zaman becoming the Man In Iran in the Astronomer, etc)

hm. scheherazade telling the story of the camera shop

27. What moment would you love to see live/what moment did you love the most live?

i need to see any kind of dead person live i need to be the best damn tambourine player theyve ever seen

28. If you could ask Dave Malloy one question about the show, what would you ask?

why does rose tell roxie to cross over ???

29. Have you read either the fall of the house of usher or arabian nights?

nah

30. Have you read the show's Genius annotations? If so, what's your favorite annotation by Dave?

"i mean literally what the fuck gelsey bell"

31. What part of the show disturbs you the most?

not really anything but if i had to choose probably gelseys screaming in photograph

32. What part of the show confuses you the most?

nothing my brain is huge and wise