#tom kitt

[fandomandmore]

Jack Wolfe as Gabe Next to Normal, London (Donmar Warehouse)

[doyouknowthismusical]

[kleinblue52]

I saw the London production of Next to Normal and it was phenomenal. Caissie Levy is the best Diana ever, Jamie Parker broke my heart.

Oh and my darling darling Jack Wolfe. I don't think I've ever become such a huge fan of someone in such a short time. He's so pretty. His voice is heavenly. And every single look he gave as Gabe was A Choice. It was like, what if I played Gabe as a Demon Twink? And it worked oh god it worked. This was probably the first production of this show where I not only cried, but seriously felt a pang of unease with every interaction between Gabe and other characters after the big reveal. Aaron could never, honestly.

Also Jack is a sweetheart to his fans. The stage door (so to speak, the Donmar doesn't really have a stage door) was a lovely experience and he was so grateful to the people who were waiting for him. He was also directly in my face while interacting with Jessie Mei Li and Mason Alexander Park who were in the audience, and even though I tried my best to avoid looking at them because I didn't want to intrude, the space was so small that I couldn't help noticing how adorable he's with his friends. He gave Jessie so many warm hugs and said I love you so many times, oh he was so sweet.

As a gay man all I want to know is... why are boys so cute.

[veilingofthesun]

Rehearsal photos from Next to Normal at Donmar Warehouse - 2023

Photography by Marc Brenner

[musicalrecs]

Today's shameless promotion is for one of my favorite musicals that I can't believe isn't more people's favorite: Bring It On: the musical.

tl;dr: This is going to be a long post, so allow me to sum up: if you like Newsies but wish it had a cast of about 2/3 girls and don't really care about the plot so long as there's idealistic teenagers singing and dancing like they've consumed a dozen energy drinks each, building up to a happy ending with more singing and dancing, then you'll love Bring It On. You may now press "j" to skip to the next tumblr post.

Still here? Then please, allow me to reminisce. When I first saw Bring It On, it was on tour before debuting on Broadway, and they were still getting the kinks out. This means I got to see, for example, the original staging of Killer Instinct, and while I get why they changed it for Campbell's character development, I do prefer the original narratively.

It also meant there was no cast album available, and no internet hype that I was aware of. I was there strictly because I saw most shows at this theater if I didn't actively dislike them, and was all "Cheerleading in a musical? Even if the plot is bad it should be a lot of fun!" When I sat down and perused my program I recall turning to my date and excitedly saying "Oh wow, Lin-Manuel Miranda worked on this! You don't know who he is, but he did In The Heights and Sesame Street, this might actually be good!" I also had no idea Ariana DeBose was anyone of import. I should dig out that program and see if I got her to sign it...

I had only the first movie to go on for the plot, which I vaguely remembered the end of. This meant a) I rolled my eyes at conveniently putting Campbell on the "right" team early on and b) I was quite surprised by the ending.

Whatever I was expecting, it was BETTER. Bring It On grabs you with the beat from the get go and and then starts throwing cheerleaders in the air as rapaciously as Jim Henson ever tossed penguins. I hadn't been so captivated by a show's live energy since I first saw Rent.

And the plot? Reader, it was my very favorite kind of plot: girl is in unfamiliar situation, does her best, makes surprising new friends, screws up, learns something, demonstrates leadership, ends with stronger friendships and supportive love interest to boot. (See also: Legally Blonde) You know, the kind of plot guys have had catering to them for millennia so much that the second I hear "coming of age story" I peace out. But it turns out I am not immune to gender-targeted storytelling, particularly when it also has dancing.

It's been an age since I read the reviews, but I recall complaints that Jackson high school was much too "nice," "diverse," "unrealistic" and, had those reviews been written today, they would have almost certainly included "woke." I, on the other hand, was thrilled to see high school portrayed not as a battleground but as groups of friends supporting each other while still enjoying "krunking in the parking lot." (I have never been cool enough to do any equivalent to "krunking" but I admire kids with the confidence to do so, and I did overall enjoy my high school years.)

I am the kind of person who unironically appreciates songs about how it doesn't matter if you're fat or trans or otherwise not society's ideal so long as you love yourself, and songs about how winning doesn't matter as long as you know who you are and have friends. So I loved "It Ain't No Thing" and "Cross the Line."

Plus, a supportive, non-threatening soft boy singing about how high school isn't forever so you might as well "Enjoy the Trip"? Keep your "cringe"; I'll take a dozen more musicals just like this one, please. (No, really. Please let me know if they make any.)

So I mentioned Lin-Manuel Miranda up there, but this wasn't just his show. To quote Wikipedia, "Bring It On: The Musical is a musical with music by Tom Kitt and Lin-Manuel Miranda, lyrics by Amanda Green and Miranda, and book by Jeff Whitty."

Tom Kitt has a pretty eclectic resume, ranging from Jagged Little Pill to Next to Normal to Spongebob. Lin-Manuel Miranda, of course, is best known for trying to sell real estate to Big Bird.

Sidenote: Tom Kitt and LMM had another collab that you may have heard of: the 2013 Tonys opening number, "Bigger!"

Although I couldn't get my hands on the album for over a year after I fell in love with the show, since one didn't exist, nowadays you can of course listen to the whole thing on Youtube, Spotify, or wherever. You can even buy the CD; it comes with a nice booklet with all the lyrics!

But as for seeing the show, I don't recommend trying to watch it online. A quick search doesn't turn up any proshots, and local productions just aren't going to be the same. Half the cast was made up of pro cheerleaders, and their intense choreography is part of the thrill. If a tour ever comes near your town, I highly recommend you get yourself tickets. Even if the moving screens aren't as cool and innovative now as they were in 2011, it's still a wonderful spectacle.

So that's Bring It On: the musical. I suppose I could have actually described the plot (head cheerleader Campbell gets redistricted to another school which - gasp! - has no cheerleading team), but really, does it matter? You're there for the characters expressing themselves through song and dance (and cheerleading), not how easy it is to fool gullible teens by editing Wikipedia (actual plot point). I hope you get a chance yourself to fall in love with its unabashed enthusiasm for friendship and being tossed really high on stage.

[generouspour]

does anyone have a video of almost famous the musical. will trade or buy! thanks!

[derekklenadaily]

Since most of you know there's a picture of Derek being painted while being in the streets of New York City via on the artist's IG Story earlier (I am currently waiting to see if I can post it up on Instagram Story/blog. I asked her permission first and most respectfully before I can do anything. But I don't want to risk myself getting into trouble due to copyright reasons especially it's her art). I won't post the actual picture via her Instagram Story until I can get permission from her. But you all can see the pictures in the article that I posted. Go check it out! It's absolutely amazing!

[bareilles-tveit]

After party goodies

[a-medley-of-oddities]

Tom Kitt, Light

[caroleditosti]

'Almost Famous' The Broadway Musical Gives a Nod to 1970s Music

‘Almost Famous’ The Broadway Musical Gives a Nod to 1970s Music

Casey Likes, Solea Pfeiffer in Almost Famous (courtesy of Matthew Murphy) From the response of the audience’s standing ovation and cheering, the snarky comparison by critics to the lead actors of Almost Famous and Dear Evan Hansen and other criticisms didn’t seem to matter. That is because Almost Famous delivers. This is especially so if one has seen the titular film (2000). If you appreciate a…

[willowstea]

tomkittmusic

Went for a run in the park and came upon a busker… @ifthenmusical

[doyouknowthismusical]

[redeyeflyguy]

A Week of Wonderfully Malefic Melodies: The Encore!!! Number 3 is our musical theater entry this year and…I don’t know how to talk about it. I absolutely want to talk about it. This song is amazing and it is absolutely a villain song but the true nature of this song is in fact, a spoiler for the show it is a part of.  I guess I could keep things vague. Shouldn’t be too hard. After all, I’m not even sure who or what is singing (I mean in the story, I know it's Aaron Tviet singing). Or maybe all I need to say is that the music is catchy, the lyrics are raw is hell, it adds a lot to the show especially once you know the context and you should go watch Next To Normal. It’s a wonderful show just like this small piece of it.

[veilingofthesun]

Caissie Levy singing 'I miss the mountains' from Donmar Warehouse's 2023 production of Next to Normal.

[ifthenslashers]

New Regional Production!

New regional production happening at the Theatre Alliance Second Stage in Winston Salem, North Carolina.

It will run from May 24th, 2024 to May 26th, 2024. $21USD for adult and $19 for students/seniors.

Dates: Friday, May 24, 2024 - 07:30 PM EDT Saturday, May 25, 2024 - 07:30 PM EDT Sunday, May 26, 2024 - 02:00 PM EDT

Find out more: Website | Tickets | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook

[frontmezzjunkies]

Donmar's Riveting and Intimate Next to Normal

#frontmezzjunkies reviews: #NextToNormal #musical @DonmarWarehouse m: @TomKitt3 l/b: #BrianYorkey d: #MichaelLonghurst @mrmrlonghurst w/ #CaissieLevy #JamieParker #TrevorDionNicholas #JackWolfe #JackOfrecio #EleanorWorthingtonCox #DonmarNextToNormal

Caissie Levy in Donmar’s Next to Normal. Photo by Marc Brenner. The London Theatre Review: Donmar Warehouse’s Next to Normal By Ross Without a doubt, this is one of the most emotionally powerful musicals out there, and one that my fellow theatre junkie and I were so excited to see. So excited, that we bought standing-room-only tickets for London’s Donmar Warehouse production on the second last…