#deh didn’t need that many awards

[pinklemonslices]

i wish the 2017 tony’s never happened because now Connor will lose every tumblr musical poll forever and ever even though both times i’ve seen it he’s fit the theme of the poll better :(

[wings-of-indigo]

So, Waitress is closing and Why I am Happy about that: An Exceedingly long essay Rant about Broadway

Look. Nobody's gonna read this, most likely, but it's 2 in the morning and my brain's been obsessing over Broadway (more than usual, anyway) since communing with my people at intensive this week. So, in the interest of getting some sleep before 8 hrs of dance and shitty high notes tomorrow, here goes.

I love classic, high-school-and-community standard musicals. I love new and experimental musicals. I love Disney film-to-stage musicals. I love institution musicals like Chorus Line, Cats, and Wicked; I even have a soft spot for Phantom. I am eagerly anticipating West Side Story next Christmas (seriously, I have a calander).

BUT.

As I said to one of my fellow dancers during post-class stretch (after noting his insane flexibilty and making yet another resolution to stretch more) I am Sick to GoDAMnEd DEATH of revivals, franchise adaptions, and restagings taking up the Broadway and greater theater markets.

I get why it's happening; I do. Musical theater, even shows that never make it out of Regional productions (Be More Chill, btw, I'm so proud of you bby :'-D ) are REALLY FREAKING EXPENSIVE, not just to stage, but also to develop. Broadway productions nowadays regularly go upwards of TENS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS in costs.

Those costs are more and more frequently being met through funding by large groups of wealthy investors, who can expect basically little to no return on that investment. Only a select few shows that make it to the Great White Way do well enough to turn a profit (let alone the kinds of numbers that Hamilton, DEH, and Wicked continue to make), and more and more shows are closing in defict or once they break even. (Coincidentally, this is probably why we're seeing more and more straight plays on Broadway, especially in limited engagements. They're quicker, cheaper, and still have the same level of prestige.)

It makes sense then to assume that a show linked to an already successful property has a better chance of reaching that break-even mark, or perhaps generating a small return, than a more original idea. It's a surer bet, and we've seen it a lot these past few seasons. Anastasia, Beetlejuice, Pretty Woman, Moulin Rouge, Mean Girls... we get it. We promise. Investors want some security in an extremely and notoriously insecure market before they're willing to lay out the dough.

I get it. Everybody gets it.

And, to be fair, some of those shows are and continue to be GOOD. Tony nominees and award winners, even. But here's the problem: it's boring.

And not because I know how Act 2 ends without getting spoilers on tumblr. Unless they're younger than ten, the population of Broadway-and-musicals fans generally has a good handle on where a show's relevant plotlines are going. It's really not the wanting to know the end that keeps your butt in your overpriced red velvet seat and your eyes on the stage. It's the score, the words, occasionally the choreography, and most importantly the magicians on, off, and backstage bringing those things to life in a new and interesting way.

The antithesis of this, then, is having to watch slavish recreation of iconic scenes, lines, and characters from iconic films, presented Onstage! (TM), now with Bonus Songs! for your reconsumption. (Yes, Pretty Woman, I'm looking at you.)

Hey, I love Pretty Woman the Movie, slightly dodgy messages about feminity aside. I love it as a movie, and I really don't need to watch the knock off version of it, even if it comes in a shiny Broadway package.

Anastasia, and Beetlejuice, on the other hand, work extrodinarily well as musicals because they are NOT carbon copies of the original, somehow miraculously transplanted onto the stage.

Ironically, musicals based on original ideas are actually some of the most successful and well reviewed recent productions. Hamilton, Dear Evan Hansen, Come From Away, and Hadestown this season are all original works, and well, look at them. (Fishy, huh? Coincidence, I think the fuck not.)

Recently I got to see The Prom on Broadway, the day after I saw Pretty Woman. The contrast between shows and my enjoyment of them was well defined. I couldn't look away from The Prom, despite many of the major story beats being as obvious as our Cheeto-in-Chief's spray tan. I and the entire rest of the theater were completely engaged by what was going on onstage, both comedically and dramatically. At Pretty Woman, I found myself checking the Playbill to see how many songs were left for me to make it through and anxiously comparing the size of my thighs to the dancers onstage to pass the time (ah, pre pro Body Issues, welcome back! We all thought you'd retired!)

Three guesses which show I'd choose to see again.

When I read that Waitress was closing, the first thing I did was panic and start marking pre January weekends where I would both be free and possibly have disposable income (I've never gotten to see the show, and frankly I would like too). My second reaction was, yes, to mourn the closure of a wonderful show, but it was mixed with hopeful anticipation. Waitress had a good long time in the sun, and just like a well lived life, eventually it must and should end. It's better, in my humble student opinion, to live with memories and cast albums (and regional productions) than the stodgy life of a show that's jealously clung to its Broadway berth through the tourist-and-date-night trade (*cough*Phantom*cough*). It's sort of like your 40 something mother taking selfies in booty shorts in an effort to prove she's still 'hip' and in her twenties. Cringe.

Ephemera is the nature of live performance, and probably part of its allure. And just like in the natural world, old things have to end so that new things can become. Waitress closing is a vital part of this cycle.

Broadway has a limited number of theaters. That's a hard and absolute fact. Maybe a quarter of them are effectively taken off the market for new shows by productions apparently cursed with immortality. Waitress has just opened up another spot both physically and creatively for a new project- hopefully something we haven't seen before- and I hope to God, Satan, and Sondheim that it doesn't get filled with another franchise spinoff, celebrity jukebox musical, or -Lin Miranda forbid - yet another revival.

Why the revival hate, though? Aren't revivals an major way to revisit the landmark and important musicals of the past and bring them to a new audience?

Well, yes. They are, especially when they're staged and presented with the emphasis on letting the music and words speak for themselves and giving the actors leeway to work with the material, without the typical levels of Broadway Extra (TM) and creative meddling from the producers. (The recent Lincoln Center staging of A Chorus Line is a good example of the stripped down style I'm talking about.) But even if they have their place, once again, revivals (while valuable and cool and all that) are Something We've Already Seen.

Let's take Newsies for example. A show with a huge fan base (mostly teen, mostly girls) who I frequently see wishing for a revival.

Now, I am a raging Newsies fan. Newsies is the show that got me started on attempting to make a profession out of dance and theater. I can sing both the OBC and Live albums back to front. I may or may not have had embarrassing crushes on certain cast and characters that I will take to my grave (I'll never tell and you'll never know, mwahhaha). So, do I love and worship ever iteration of this show? Yes. Do I wish I had been able to see either the Natl Tour or Broadway productions? Hell yes, with all my heart. Do I wish the Gatelli choreography was in any way accessible for me to learn? More than I want Broadway tickets to cost less than my soul, kidney, and hypothetical but unlikely first born combined.

But do I want a Broadway revival? Hell FUCKING No.

It's over, it's done, and it lives on in reinterpretation in regional and junior productions. Good. That, to be quite honest, is where it should belong.

It doesn't need to be rehashed on the biggest stages, and to be frank, neither do most of the ultra popular revivals that have been happening. (Yes, Ali Stoker is awesome and deserves the world, but Broadway does not need Oklahoma. If you need to see it that bad, go find a high school production somewhere. I recommend the midwest.) Broadway does not need 1776 (even though I am looking forward to it). Broadway does not need a Sweeney Todd revival (even though I want one like I want ice cream after suffering through jazz class in an un-air-conditioned studio on a 90 degree afternoon with no breeze. Seriously, I might be making sacrifices at my altar to this cause in the back of my closet).

Broadway needs musicals that are at least nominally original, and if not, come from something obscure enough (Kinky Boots, Waitress, Newsies) that they can make their own way. Barring that, investors, writers, and directors, please have the courage and decency to take established content in a new direction. Please, I'm begging you. I'd honestly-and-truly much rather sit through something that didn't try to shove the better version of itself down my throat even as it bored and annoyed me to tears. If I'm going to pay $80+ to sit through two hours of something terrible (and less engaging than my dancer body image issues) at least let me get my money's worth in unique horribleness.

[evanhcnsen]

looking at tumblr has been really overwhelming tonight. i am very happy with the majority of the Tony results. i am so proud of Dear Evan Hansen, the musical that has truly had such an impact on my life in a difficult time and the people in it that are such sources of positivity in my life. when i saw it, i was blown away and i have loved it infinitely ever since. it has taught me everyone is human, we all feel the need to belong and we are valid for it. it has shed light onto mental illness, something that i, and so many others, relate to and have struggled with, and we see ourselves in these characters. i don’t think you guys fucking understand that the entire theatre was sobbing during the performance. kids, senior citizens, teenagers, dads... everyone was so connected over this beautiful piece of theatre. everyone jumped to their feet after to give a standing ovation, the amount of love and emotion in that room was more than i’ve seen at every other show i’ve been to. 

this season was tough. there were many great shows that deserved awards. i am definitely a great comet fan, and i wish it had gotten more awards, including best orchestrations. remember though, that these are just the Tonys. they don’t dictate the popularity or success of a show. there were so many shows that deserved so many awards that it was impossible for all of them to win every single one. like many people, i do find it annoying and frustrating that one show tends to sweep the Tonys, but that’s something we don’t have control over, and that’s not something that you should blame on the musical itself. 

brushing aside dear evan hansen in a way that is offensive to the show, the actors, production team, and its fans is not okay. dear evan hansen was successful tonight, and it deserves it - imagine the happiness of the whole production team and actors and their families and friends right now. imagine if that were you, and there were hundreds of people online openly bashing your show and saying it didn’t deserve the award(s) that it got. before anyone know what this show was, i was overcome with emotion for it and knew that it was something extremely special. every single actor and member of the production team of dear evan hansen is so devoted to this show, and they have made it a truly amazing show that has impacted so many, whether you are impacted by it or not is irrelevant, the fact of the matter is that by bashing deh, you are invalidating so many’s peoples love for a musical that may run deeper than you know.

hating on dear evan hansen because of all of its tony wins is immature and rude. dear evan hansen didn’t choose to win these awards, it merely has a wonderful team that put together this piece of art that got the attention of the public eye. even if you don’t connect with deh the way many do, that doesn’t mean mean that it is a bad show, or that it is underserving of all of these awards. obviously, it was deserving, or else they wouldn’t have WON THEM. now, there are many shows that could have easily beaten deh for certain categories and i agree that, for example, comet should have won best orchestrations. but this is not a valid reason to bash dear evan hansen, just because you think a certain show should have won over it. it’s not the fault of dear evan hansen that great comet got robbed.

i hope that in the future, the tonys don’t take away recognition from so many great shows, but please remember that they’re just the TONYS, and they shouldn’t impact the way that you view shows. i am personally in debt to dear evan hansen for the strength and comfort it has provided me, not to mention its beautiful music and breathtaking performances that mean so much to me and so many others. let people enjoy the shows that they enjoy, and don’t spread hate just because your show didn’t win awards you think it should have. again, winning Tony awards does not mean a show is overrated or bland. it got them for a reason. 

[watch-the-whole-world-disap-blog]

ALL

You piece of trash I knew this was coming 1. what’s your favorite musical?Dear Evan Hansen or Wicked2. favorite character in your favorite musical?Connor/Jared/Evan/Zoe/Alana (fight me) or Elphaba 3. what’s your favorite play?I don't actually watch plays much so I'm just gonna say the one my school is putting on called The Creature Creeps4. favorite character in your favorite play?Probably Babsy 5. what’s your dream role?Sooo many but if I could play any character it's Elphaba because I grew up falling in love with that musical6. what’s a role you’d like to play that you’d never be able to?Evan Hansen or Connor Murphy 7. do you prefer being behind the scenes or in the spotlight?Both? I've never been in the spotlight but I'd love to be onstage. Plus crew is super fun 8. do you like hamilton?Ummm YES9. have you seen hamilton?Yep in May of this year it was incredible10. how do you feel about hyped up shows like hamilton, les mis, and rent?They're hyped for a reason I haven't watched or heard most of them but I know they're good and they deserve the excitement11. did you like this year’s tony awards?Yeah but Falsettos and great comet got roBBED 12. what award should there be that isn’t?Best Ensemble award because they do so much work and get little credit13. what shows have you been in/helped with?The play I'm currently working on with my school that's it lol14. have you ever been paid to act onstage or on camera?If only15. do you prefer broadway or west end shows?Doesn't matter a good show is a good show16. favorite stage actress?Idina Menzel always 17. favorite stage actor?Ben Platt always18. favorite show currently or recently running?Dear Evan Hansen 19. what’s your dream #ham4ham (even if you don’t like hamilton)?I don't really know tbh (not gonna lie not sure what this is asking whoops)20. who should host the tony’s next year?Neil Patrick Harris 21. do you watch broadwaycom backstage vlogs?Yep22. what’s your opinion on movies turned into musicals?It depends on the musical but usually it's always interesting to see the new take and listen to the music23. do you prefer musical movies or live musicals?Live but I'm not gonna turn down a movie musical24. do you have an opinion on american psycho?I wanna listen to it but I haven't gotten the chance 25. what movie would you want to be turned into a musical?Not gonna lie I want a Hunger Games Musical made by the people who did A Very Potter Musical26. what role would you like to see your favorite actor play?FIERO IN WICKED PLEASE27. do you prefer musicals, plays, or operas?Musicals28. dramatic plays or comedies?Both 29. andrew lloyd webber or stephen sondheim?Stephen sondheim30. neil patrick harris or james corden?Neil Patrick Harris31. did james corden do a good job hosting the tony’s (in your opinion)?Not gonna lie I didn't watch those Tony's 32. create a show mash-up and explain the plot (ex: legally todd = sweeney todd + legally blonde)Be More Todd where the squip doesn't make you popular it makes you kill people33. what song always makes you cry?Words Fail from DEH 34. how do you feel about musicals using other artists’ music?Pretty neutral about it 35. what celebrity would you like to see on broadway next?Idk maybe Emma Watson? 36. favorite show you’ve been in?Not been in any 37. would you like to act professionally?In an ideal world yeah 38. television or stage acting?Both 39. what disney movie should be a musical that isn’t?Brave let them sing 40. if you could see one show on broadway or west end, what would it be?Dear Evan Hansen41. what musical should be revived next?Next to Normal it's only been a few years but still42. are musical sequels okay?Depends but yeah43. what musical sequel would you like there to be that isn’t?Percy Jackson The Lightening Thief make a Sea of Monsters musical please44. have you ever had a crush on a character from a show?What do you think this blog is 45. how do you feel about musicals being done live on tv now?I think it's really awesome and needs to be done more46. did you like grease live?Yikes I've never seen Grease don't @ me47. are you excited for hairspray live?Never seen Hairspray either yikes 48. what show do you desperately want your school/community to do?Be More Chill please let me be Christine 49. are you a stronger singer or dancer?I can't dance for shit and my singing is actual trash50. would you rather design the set, direct the show, or help with effects?Set design yeah!

[dear-jason-goodman]

1-30

Since I just rebloged 3 ask memes and you didn’t say with one I will just answered then all favourite musical overallRentlist your top 10 favourite musicals1. Rent2. Next to normal3. Bare. 4. Dear Evan Hansen 5. American idiot 6. Bandstand 7. Bonnie and Clyde 8. Spring awakening 9. Rocky horror 10. Cinderella favourite musical to listen toAt the current moment bare a pop opera but it always changes favourite musical to watch At the current moment bare but it changes all the time favourite musical you want to see liveDear Evan Hansen next to normal and bare favourite musical you’ve seen liveRent favourite musical you’ve been a part of (or one you want to be a part of if you haven’t participated in any!)I would love to be a part of rent or wicked or phantom doing the makeup for it favourite song from a musicalI can’t pick but season of love it one of them favourite character from a musicalI can’t pick they are all amazing but atm peter or Jason from bare is my favorite buy I love them all favourite actor/actress in a musicalJonah platt Ben platt all fo them literally there is not a actor that I have seen and haven’t fall in love with favourite musical on broadway right nowDear Evan Hansen favourite musical that’s no longer on broadwayRent or next to normal favourite musical that’s never been on broadwayBare a pop opera favourite revival of a musicalCinderella favourite musical that needs to be revivedBonnie and Clyde favourite musical that’s underratedBare a pop opera favourite musical that you’re ashamed to likeNone favourite musical you never talk/blog aboutBeautiful or something rotten favourite musical to talk about with friendsAmerican idiot or what ever they will let me talk about favourite musical for sentimental reasonsRent or Annie or Cinderella favourite musical that means a lot to youRent bare next to normal or dear Evan Hansen favourite musical to sing along toSpring awakening or American idiot favourite lyric from a musicalThis is two hard I quite but the first one that popped in my head was “And I keep on waiting...: Waiting in the rainAnd I keep on hating... All...Hating all the painAnd I keep on trying...Trying to beginAnd I keep on dying...Dying to fit in” for one for bare is one that has been playing though my head for days favourite set from a musicalRent or phantom favourite costumes from a musicalSomething rotten or American idiot because I could love in the costumes for American idiot favourite obc cast of a musicalDeh favourite non-obc cast of a musicalThe movie cast of rent or the touring cast of something rotten favourite female character in a musicalNatalie from next to normal favourite male character in a musicalConnor Murphy-dear Evan Hansen favourite musical to read/write fanfictions forI don’t read or write fan ric 1 - Who was the last person you texted?My group chat 
2 - When is your birthday?News years eve 
3 - Who do you want to be with right now?My friends 
4 - What sports do you play?I don’t play sports 
5 - Who is the first person in your contacts?My brother 
6 - What is your favorite song as of the moment?Are you there for bare a pop opera 
7 - If you were stranded on an island, who do you wish to be with?Ben platt 
8 - What do you feel right now?Very clam and tried 
9 - What chocolate is your favorite?I love milk chocolate 
10 - How many boyfriends/girlfriends did you have?I have had 1 boyfriend 
11 - Why did you create a Tumblr account?Because my friends said Tumblr was cool and I created this musical account because I needed somewhere I could post about shows and just escaped two when life is two much 
12 - Who is your favorite blogger?@pontmarius or @flyawayrachel
13 - Where do you want to be right now?1920’s New York City in December right near Christmas 
14 - What do you want to be in the future?The tony awards in new your city on 20/20 
15 - When was the last time you cried? Why?I cried last night because a show I was watching was sad 
16 - Are you happy?Sometimes 
17 - Who do you miss?People who have left my life 
18 - If you were given a chance, would you like to have a different life?Yes and no. The life I have can be hard and sometimes I hate it but it’s mine if I had a different life some if not all of my problems would still be hear and it wouldn’t be my life it would be someone else. At the end of the day not matter what I have been through or the challenges I ahve face this is my life good and bad so why change that 
19 - What was the best thing you were given?The opportunity to fall in love with something it could be a musical or a person or a food or whatever but the chance to love something with all your heart is a great gift 
20 - Who was the last person who called you?My mom I think 
21 - What is your favorite dish?Asparagus with a lemon butter sauce and tofu 
22 - Who is your bestfriend?My sister or elyse it drew or pont or Rachael 
23 - What is your biggest regret?I don’t believe in regret the mistakes o made are the choices I made even if I think it turned out bad or probably wasn’t the best choice it was mine to make and I have to live with that so why choose to live with regret. I rather choose to live with the lesson I learned so I am better prepared for my future 
24 - Have you ever cheated on your partner?No 
25 - Who do you spend crazy moments with?I don’t think I have any crazy moments but probably my sister 
26 - Name someone pretty.Everyone on earth 
27 - Who was the last person you hugged?Idk probably drew or elyse 
28 - What kind of music do you listen to?All of it 
29 - Are you over your past?Yes and no 
30 - Who is the last person in your contacts?A radio station Favorite scary movieScream or Sweeney Todd Favorite Halloween (not necessarily scary) movie The nightmare before Christmas Favorite Halloween costume I’ve wornEliza Hamilton Halloween costume I want to dress as but haven’t yetMimi form rent My ultimate dream Halloween costumeA very historical accurate Bonnie for Bonnie and Clyde Favorite character from a Halloween movieJack skeleton Favorite spooky novelDon’t have one Favorite scary video gameDon’t have one Favorite classic movie/book monsterDracula Best memory from a past HalloweenMy first Halloween dance was pretty amazing Favorite Autumn drinkHot cocoa Favorite Autumn food/treatIce cream that tastes like pumpkins What I’d love to carve into a pumpkinRent Best pumpkin design I’ve ever carved/plan on carvinI don’t carve pumpkins Do you do anything special for Halloween?I like to watch movies and a chill after I trick or treat but this year is my last year trick or treating Do you enjoy bonfires, or have you ever attended one? I do and I have but like only once Favorite scary story or legendDon’t have one Favorite Halloween candyAll of it Do you like going to Halloween stores?Yes If you do go to Halloween stores, do you buy anything or just look around?Look around I just like to be in the present of Halloween stuff it makes me happy and makes me feel safe and calm If you wear costumes, do you make your own costumes or purchase them? A combo of both I buy things so I can put them together to make my own Have you ever gone to a Haunted House attraction? YYes Have you ever gone to a corn maze?I think How about a pumpkin patch? Yes What did you always wish you could dress up as when you were a kid?A witch I did it like every year Do you ever partake in a nice leaf pile jump?I think once Do you call apples covered in sweets: caramel apples, candy apples, toffee apples, or something else?Caramel apples Tell a spooky campfire story (if you have one)I don’t Do you believe in ghosts? If so, have you ever had an experience?I believe that they exist because why would they because ghost are supposed to be the sprite of people who died two soon and people died two sooon all the time. It I don’t they ghost are evil and I never have encountered one but I think they are out there If you live in a climate where the trees change colors, do you like walking/driving around and looking at them?Yes

[potterheadgirl8-blog]

2017 Tony Awards

Alright so the hate on DEH for winning really needs to stop. This musical has touched me and so many other people in so many ways. I honestly cannot express how much this musical means to me as an accurate depiction for mental illnesses such as social anxiety and depression. It truly showed me that no one is alone and that everyone will be found. 

And I’m sorry if your favorite didn’t win, and you are allowed to be bitter and wish that your fave had won instead, but it is not okay to trash on another musical or its fans for no reason other than you did not get your way.

Theater is all about us coming together to make something beautiful. The community is being divided so much by the Tony Awards this year and we all just need to realize that everything nominated was amazing in its own way and stop attacking each other for our interests.

Oh and also Ben Platt is a pure and amazing human who needs to be protected at all costs no matter what anyone says.

Thank you. 

[starhuman]

I'm so frustrated with all the DEH tony noms and I feel like your the only other person talking about it I just feel like there were other shows that were just as groundbreaking while also being pretty diverse (i.e. Denee from great comet or Phillipa from Amelie) like I know the same thing happened with Hamilton but at least the cast was diverse

(disclaimers: for all the shit I may give it I do like deh. I think in terms of how groundbreaking it is people have without a doubt overestimated it. When I first saw the show I predicted they would sweep the awards season, keeping in mind this was in the winter and pre come from away which I believe should be their biggest competition this season. Also I’m on my phone so rip there may be spelling errors)

I definitely agree with you on Denee, but unfortunately her problem isn’t DEH it’s Bette Midler in the establishment revival of the season. To me, Midler was set to win from day one and it’s so damn annoying because…it’s a revival of a classic musical. It’s not groundbreaking. The source material isn’t very groundbreaking. And a white, famous, established actress winning that award is not groundbreaking. Benton is talented, and would have this in the bag without Hello Dolly.

Now I haven’t seen Amelie, but I think it is challenging to receive a lot of recognition for a musical based on a movie without a super talented writing team. (ie one of the writers of Groundhog Day helped write Matilda which is a great musical. The writers of Amelie…not as many previous solid shows unless you’re one of those people who were bending over backwards for Tuck last year) It’s sad that Philippa couldn’t carry the show through the season with her post Hamilton hype but it’s a competitive season this year, and I’m not very surprised she didn’t get a nom. That being said she was one of the few Asian actresses on broadway this season that wasn’t being stereotyped and degraded in Miss Saigon. It’s a shame Allegiance didn’t get the credit it deserved because the lack of Asian representation on Broadway is appalling.

The bottom line is it’s almost shameful that last year #TonysSoDiverse was trending and now we’re prioritizing the least diverse show of the season…by far. Based on my personal predictions and more professional predictions it looks like this season is setting up to produce white actors in all four categories. Yes, Ben, Andrew and Jenn are gay but that’s not the representation we need and need to support on broadway right now. Great Comet has a black female lead! Come From Away deals with islamophobia! Countless other musicals were groundbreaking this season, and it truly is a shame they’re not getting recognition. If you haven’t yet I would strongly advise you to appreciate all musicals this season. Sure DEH is good and deals with mental illness but there’s so much more broadway has to offer this season.

(OH ALSO bways last mental illness musical won the Pulitzer suck it Pasek and Paul)

[loulucifer]

the true reason behind the falsettos salt

ok so the falsettos salt post has been getting a fuck ton of notes and id like to explain my logic of why im glad DEH won and why im upset Falsettos lost 

lets start with DEH vs Great comet 

DEH is very sentimental to me im mentally ill and i lost a friend to suicide  now, DEH and Great Comet are very different  VERY different  and DEH held a current issue that was addressed very well, in my opinion and it treated mental health very seriously  Great Comet was very unique and should have won best score it’s just a matter of what they were looking for now  and DEH just fit that “popular” thing  I don’t think its fair to hate DEH just because it won that’s not the shows fault  One isn’t better just because it won this one award Great comet beat DEH in many areas DEH just appealed differently  Now, I’m glad DEH best musical because it deals with something so serious and brought it into this new light and can influence how people see mental health and how serious it is 

NOW FALSETTO TIME

Falsettos is a personal favorite of mine and so that’s one reason i was sad it lost 

but it’s more than just that. Falsettos is so important right now because of its importance of family dynamics and how each character interacts with marvin  Each character is left with thousands of questions and no answers Trina wonders why she isn’t enough  Jason wonders if he’s going to end up like his father Mendel can fix it  then there’s act 2 where we see the family change again near the end we see Whizzer accepting his death and not knowing what’s happening and why it’s him  and this “Why” is so important when we look at everything now and why is all this happening  Falsettos is so powerful because it begins with a broken family and turns into a question of what is happening and if everything will be alright 

Falsettos honestly deserved to win best revival  i don’t know enough about miss Saigon to say my opinion on it  but both seem to have more significance over hello dolly  Falsettos has so much depth to it that it needs more recognition  and it shouldn’t just be known as “Another rent” or “that aids musical” it has so much to it  In conclusion  I’m glad DEH won because it makes the topic of mental health almost unavoidable and you shouldn’t shit on it just because it did well  And Great comet is just as good, it just didn’t fully appeal to the judges  One award doesn’t mean one is better than the other and Falsettos is a culturally significant musical that deserved more attention and deals with such a complex idea of family that it needs to be well known 

[xaandiir]

all even for the q&a questions!

There’s always someone that does this.

2. favorite character in your favorite musical?

Michael from Billy Elliot or Bobby from Company!

4. favorite character in your favorite play?

Because it says play and not musical, I’ll take it for not being a musical. But I don’t have a favorite play, is the problem. So instead, I’ll go with my favorite character in a show I’ve been a part of (pretty out there haha). And that’s the Baker’s Wife from Into the Woods!

6. what’s a role you’d like to play that you’d never be able to?

Thomas Jefferson from Hamilton. I love his attitude, character, and songs. But I am neither a cis man nor a person of color, so that character is out of reach.

8. do you like hamilton?

See question 6...Haha yes! I love it!

10. how do you feel about hyped up shows like hamilton, les mis, and rent?

Hamilton, I love to death. Les Mis I have yet to see. And Rent is good, but I think not as great as people say. I adore the representation but the plot itself is a little convoluted and the the songs are adequate with a few amazing ones thrown in there.

12. what award should there be that isn’t?

I honestly don’t keep up with Tonys so it’s hard for me to say. How about best emotional performance? Since there’s a lot of great performances and awards for that (probably), but I mean the one that makes you in the audience bawl your eyes out like Ben Platt in Dear Evan Hansen.

14. have you ever been paid to act onstage or on camera?

No :( It is a dream of mine, though.

16. favorite stage actress?

Ugh why do you make me choose?? Off the top of my head, I’d say Beth Malone for her performance in Fun Home!

18. favorite show currently or recently running?

Hamilton is too easy to say, so instead I’ll say Dear Evan Hansen! It’s so good!!

20. who should host the tony’s next year?

I’m a sucker for NPH’s hosting, but because he’s hosted so many, instead I’ll say Stephen Colbert. He’d be hilarious with it!

22. what’s your opinion on movies turned into musicals?

For the most part they’re usually pretty good. Heathers is really good, Shrek is entertaining. Hell, Billy Elliot is my favorite musical and it was originally a movie! I think for the most part they turn out well.

24. do you have an opinion on american psycho?

Nope.

26. what role would you like to see your favorite actor play?

The question is who is my favorite actor...I would probably die for Raul Esparza and I want to see him take on Alexander Hamilton or maybe even the father in Fun Home. He would just kill those roles.

28. dramatic plays or comedies?

Dramatic plays are usually really dull in my opinion, so comedies hands down.

30. neil patrick harris or james corden?

They both are so good? And did so well with the Tony’s?? My god??? But my love for NPH goes way back even before I liked musicals so I have to go with my boy.

32. create a show mash-up and explain the plot (ex: legally todd = sweeney todd + legally blonde)

Oooooh I like this. Let’s see...Okay I chose two random musicals from my list:

Next to Fun Home = Next to Normal + Fun Home

A lesbian struggling with BD is stuck in a loveless marriage with a man she married just because she got pregnant when she still thought she was straight. She reflects on her younger life after discovering an old passion for comic book making, and ultimately leads to her making a comic about her past life and her current life, as it begins to implode with past traumas being brought up with the comic’s creation.

....I’d watch it.

34. how do you feel about musicals using other artists’ music?

I really, really hate jukebox musicals. I didn’t like Mamma Mia, I don’t think I would like Moulin Rouge (although I have yet to see it), and so on. I just don’t like it.

36. favorite show you’ve been in?

Ahhh hard to say. I’ve loved so many shows. Ultimately I’ll go with Into the Woods just because I was swing (and thus memorized EVERYONE’S PARTS that was hell) and I have this great memory of three main cast members being gone (I believe it was Cinderella, Baker’s Wife, and Rapunzel?) and I played a l l of them that day. It was hilarious while simultaneously nearly giving me a breakdown. Fun times!

38. television or stage acting?

So hard to say. They both have their perks and their cons...I’d say stage acting. My heart belongs to the theatre!

40. if you could see one show on broadway or west end, what would it be?

I’ve seen shows on West End but never on Broadway so I can’t say for certain...I know more of the shows on Broadway than on West End so I’ll have to go with that.

42. are musical sequels okay?

I mean...maybe? It depends on how it’s handled. Musicals usually sum everything up pretty well without the need for a sequel.

44. have you ever had a crush on a character from a show?

Yeah. Who hasn’t??

46. did you like grease live?

I’ve never even seen Grease Recorded like...I don’t know.

48. what show do you desperately want your school/community to do?

So keeping with shows that you can actually purchase rights to at the moment (so no Hamilton or DEH) I really want to see a local production of Company.

50. would you rather design the set, direct the show, or help with effects?

Direct the show. I’m bad at set design and only marginally good at effects.

[degulover03]

Musical Theatre Challenge

This was meant to be a 30 Day Challenge but I'm too lazy. Also I feel as though this was targeted towards live theatre but I am going to count film adaptations and bootlegs... Sorry, IRL I've only seen two West-End shows (Wicked and Book of Mormon) and some amateur dramatics (P.S. I know people probably won’t care that I've done this or even see it but I got bored so...)

1) A number from one of your favourite musicals of all time

Benjamin’s Calypso (Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat) - It’s a random one to start off with but I LOVE this musical and this is my absolute favourite song from it.

2) A number from one of your favourite musicals of the past three years

Disappear (Dear Evan Hansen) - I love this song so much and yet it’s one of the most underrated songs in the show. (PS. DEAR EVAN HANSEN IS FINALLY COMING TO THE UK!!!)

3) A number from one of your least favourite musicals

March of the Falsettos (Falsettos) - Not gonna lie, I don’t hate this musical, it’s just that I don’t like that they killed off one of the only characters I liked (RIP Whizzer) and I don’t really get it that much. However I actually really like this song.

4) A number from the first musical you remember seeing

Popular (Wicked) - Wicked was technically the first show I saw because it was my first West-End show and before then I had only watched a few amateur dramatics at my local theatre and movie musicals. Popular and Defying Gravity were the only two songs I already knew (Defying Gravity from Glee and Popular from parody videos on YouTube)

5) A number from the musical that you saw most recently

Suddenly, Seymour (Little Shop of Horrors) - I just watched the film recently after having not watched it since I was a small child and I was just wondering how I was ever allowed to watch it! But this song is great.

6) A favourite opening number

Prologue (Into the Woods) - After watching the film I made it my goal to learn this song and I succeeded.

7) A favourite duet

What You Own (Rent) - It was between this and Take Me Or Leave Me, both from Rent; ironically I didn't really like Rent all that much.

8) A favourite dance break

King of New York (Newsies) - ICONIC! GET ‘DEM SPOONS BOIS! AND KATHERINE, YOU TAP YOUR HEART OUT!

9) A favourite ballad

On My Own (Les Misérables) - This song is a classic and fun to sing

10) A favourite “11 o'clock” number

I Believe (Book of Mormon) - What do I even have to say? 1) It’s hilarious 2) It’s sung by Andrew Rannells and 3) it’s catchy and actually has an official video from the Tony Awards.

11) A favourite comic number

Turn it Off (Book of Mormon) - THIS IS SO FUNNY! Plus there is some shippable material for McPriceley in this song.

12) A favourite ensemble number

One Day More (Les Misérables) - So many parts, so much to sing.

13) A number from a guilty-pleasure musical

I Know It’s Today (Shrek the Musical) - You just gotta love Fiona singing with herself. Relatable.

14) A number from a Best Musical Tony Nominee the year you were born

Without Love (Hairspray) - Hairspray (on Broadway) came out in 2003, so did I (that was cringe and I apologise, I will never say that again) and Without Love is my favourite song (mainly from the film with Zefron)

15) A favourite Female solo number

Watch What Happens (Newsies) - Katherine is AMAZING and Kara Lindsay sings it SO WELL! It’s a really hard song and you get out of breath really quick.

16) A favourite Male solo number

Santa Fe (Newsies) - SO MUCH NEWSIES but you gotta love that end note in Newsies Live though, I get goosebumps every time (Well done Jeremy Jordan)

17) A number from a musical that is underrated

Cry For Me (Jersey Boys) - I have literally no clue why this is my favourite song from Jersey Boys but it is, it may be because Andrew Rannells sung it too but meh. Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons are iconic, both the show and the song are underrated.

18) A number from a musical that is overrated

Memory (Cats) - Is there even a plot to this show?

19) A favourite love song from a musical

Something to Believe In (Newsies) - Even though I don’t ship it it’s still a great song (#Javid4Life)

20) A favourite number from a musical that did not originate in the US

As Long as He Needs Me (Oliver!) - After a small struggle of trying to think of a musical NOT made in the US, I felt incredibly stupid after remembering MANY, including Oliver Twist which is oh so British.

21) A favourite number from the “Golden Age” of Broadway

Sixteen Going on Seventeen (Sound of Music) - Also another iconic duet from yet another iconic musical (Iconic Iconic Iconic)

22) A favourite number performed by an antagonist

Meant to Be Yours (Heathers) - BAM! BAM! BAM! I love this song, too bad that JD’s a psycho though :(

23)  A number from a show you have never seen live but wish you could

Brooklyn’s Here (Newsies) - Okay, I know that I’ve put Newsies on here a billion times but it genuinely is the top of my bucket list of musicals to see, yet I can’t because it’s no longer on Broadway (not like I’d get to see it there anyway) and as far as I’m aware there are no UK performances :( Also Brooklyn’s Here is such a hype song

24) A number performed by a favourite female Broadway star

I’d Rather Be Me (Mean Girls) - Barrett Wilbert Weed is such a good singer and I love her in both Mean Girls and Heathers.

25) A number performed by a favourite male Broadway star

Waving Through a Window (Dear Evan Hansen) - Ben Platt is also an AMAZING singer and I first watched DEH because I was scrolling through YouTube and saw this song and was like “Hey, isn’t that Benji from Pitch Perfect?”

26) A number by a favourite composer

Carrying the Banner (Newsies) - Alan Menken alongside Jack Feldman did a great job on this song from the stage show and the film. It was, however, EXTREMELY difficult to pick just one Alan Menken song.

27) A number by a favourite choreographer

Seize the Day (Newsies) - Well done to Christopher Gattelli for choreographing the newspaper dance and making a tutorial video for an easier version. I still can’t do it though.

28) A number your would love to perform if you were of the opposite sex

For Forever (Dear Evan Hansen) - Why does this song have to be so low?

29) A number you have performed

Sherry (Jersey Boys) - I haven’t actually performed anything but this is one of the many songs that I play a lot on guitar.

30) A number you would love to perform in the future

Sincerely, Me (Dear Evan Hansen) - This song is really funny and the dance is fun to do.

Honourable Mentions:

These are some of the songs I wanted to include

Watch What Happens (Reprise) - Newsies

She Used to Be Mine - Waitress

Blue - Heathers

Candy Store - Heathers

Red and Black - Les Misérables

Defying Gravity - Wicked

Thanks to anyone who got this far