Okay one thing I don’t see talked about enough is Toulouse and Satine’s conversation before Come What May, like it makes me so emotional for no good reason
Satine interpreting Toulouse’s words as he perceives her a someone with low morals, "cruel and selfish", but he’s not saying it out of hate. He’s saying it because he knows her. He understands she’s in love and that there’s nothing she can do to stop that—but she can let Christian free from falling into the same fate they did. It’s selfish to try and keep this game going, running around trying to dodge the Duke, when she can let him go and relinquish him of the pain that he’ll only plunge deeper into as the Duke gets more comfortable with Satine, as fate catches up. Because in the end, that’ll cause Satine even more sorrow as well.
Toulouse is right, Christian still is young and sees the world as a place full of opportunity and life. He imagines this picture perfect world, and gazes at life through a lens of wonder and beauty. As he says, Christian still has a chance in life. He’s not been beaten down by the world just yet, and it’d be wrong to be the person who breaks him when she is also the person who makes him whole. She has to leave him to protect him, to show how much she loves him, though it’s not easy.
And as for Toulouse and Satine?
Tragedians, already too far gone to go back. Destined to play with the unfortunate cards they’ve been dealt, holding onto anything to give them some feeling of life in the fickle world they tread in. The least they can do is save a fellow dreamer from the same trap.
But when Christian emerges, the thought of letting him go washes away with his touch. How could she give up the person who makes her feel so safe? So seen? The one person that for a short time makes the reality of life seem like a distant memory?
And Toulouse can see that. There’s nothing he can do—it would be a tragedy in the end, but he can’t fault Satine for holding onto that love while she has it.
Maybe that’s just me but that scene with the Nature Boy instrumental just hits different man
Hadestown - Sahr Ngaujah (he/him) as Hermes, requested by anon
Birthday: September 7, 1977 (age 44)
Birth Place: Atlanta, Georgia
Theatre credits include: Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec (Moulin Rouge!), Fela Anikulapo-Kuti (Fela!), Boesman (Boesman and Lena), Jonathan (The Painted Rocks at Revolver Creek)
(Pictured on the right is T. Oliver Reid, who is currently playing the role in the Broadway production)
Not to be completely blorbo-brained but I have not been able to stop thinking about this as a Nicky song since I saw this musical 2 weeks ago.
Lyrics:
There was a boy
A very strange enchanted boy
They say he wandered very far
Very far
Over land and sea
A little shy
And sad of eye
But very wise was he
And then one day
One magic day he passed my way
And while we spoken of many things
Fools and kings
This he said to me
The greatest thing
You'll ever learn
Is just to love
And be loved in return
Like I just imagine Nicky has traveled somewhere far away on a solo mission, he’s weary and visits a pub or something, gets to chatting w a friendly artist type that reminds him of Joe a bit, gets to drinking and regales him w tales of his travels, then the story tapers off and he gets this sad look because he misses joe, who was the highlight of all those adventures :’)