#tony mendez

[jgroffdaily]

Jonathan received a Tony nomination for Merrily We Roll Along. Merrily received a total of seven nominations including for Daniel Radcliffe, Lindsay Mendez, Maria Friedman and Best Revival.

[laundrybiscuits]

I've recently been tagged in a few WIP/"last thing you've written" type games, and…to be completely candid, I haven't been writing any kind of fic lately because I've become a little bit obsessed with analyzing the Broadway revival of Merrily We Roll Along.

Not for any particular purpose, I just saw it at the Hudson a little while back and have a lot of feelings about it! In my tiny scraps of spare time, I've been working on an essay about Merrily and inevitability that will probably end up rotting in my google docs*, because that's how I approach writing as a hobby.

There's just so much there, holy shit. I'm focusing particularly on "Franklin Shepard, Inc." because Radcliffe's Charley brings a frenetic, desperate vulnerability to the performance that reads so, so differently from earlier productions. Throughout the show, I was consistently blown away by the heavy lifting Radcliffe, Mendez, and Groff do in shifting the core tension from "art vs commerce" (fine but basic, and difficult to keep modern) to "how people prioritize different types of relationships in their lives."

In an effort to make this slightly less wildly off-topic for this blog: this has gotten me thinking about the way that platonic relationships are treated in narratives, particularly but not exclusively in fandom.

"Found family" is and has always been a popular trope, but I do think its current incarnation trades a lot on the underlying fantasy of relationship permanence. When we recategorize friendships as familial relationships, we're making a claim—whether or not it's justified—about the indelibility of those relationships.

That's not inherently bad (or, god forbid, problematic). I think it's very very natural, especially for those who don't necessarily have a lot of experience with the way adult friendships change over time. Why wouldn't you want something as precious and unique and amazing as a good friendship to stay with you forever?

Certain people can feel like pillars of your world, and it's fucking terrifying to think about that being yanked out from under you—or even worse, to think about your lives slowly shifting like geologic plates until suddenly you realize it's been weeks, then months, then years since you last really talked.

CHARLEY: We're not that kind of close any more, the way we used to be. And a friendship's like a garden. You have to water it and tend it and care about it. And you know what? I want it back.

It's a peculiar, particular kind of grief when it happens, because even though it's a fairly common human experience, it doesn't get socially acknowledged in the same way as e.g. a romantic breakup.

So yeah, it makes a lot of sense that found family is a popular trope in all kinds of media, not just fandom.

However...at this point, I've developed a knee-jerk wariness to the phrase "found family," because I've found it often correlates with a really flat, simplistic depiction of human relationships. In extreme cases, it simply recontextualizes a relationship within the socially acknowledged/acceptable framework of a stereotypical family unit.

This does a disservice to familial and nonfamilial relationships alike. Every family is different, so why do so many found families in media look the same?

(I was monologuing about this to my very patient girlfriend, and she pointed out that this also sets up a success/failure binary condition in relationships, where permanence is the arbiter of success in both romantic and nonromantic contexts. She is of course both beautiful and correct!)

I have friends with whom I can sometimes share a glance and know exactly what they're thinking. I even have a running joke with one friend about the sheer number of times we've said the same thing in unison over the last 15 years. I still need to be intentional about building those relationships, extending empathy when we differ, and carving out time to reconnect. Truly intimate long-term relationships of any kind involve disagreements, conflicting priorities, and negotiating and renegotiating boundaries.

Being "basically the same person" or "sharing a braincell" actually sounds super fucking lonely to me, personally, and it handily elides the difficult, essential process of keeping people in your life.

FRANK: Old friends let you go your own way. CHARLEY: Help you find your own way. MARY: Let you off when you're wrong. F: If you're wrong. C: When you're wrong. M: Right or wrong, the point is, old friends shouldn't care if you're wrong. F: Should, but not for too long. C: What's too long?

That's a more complicated and much more mature narrative to tell than "friendship will save the day!" Because it's not that common and there's not a deep bank of references to draw from, it takes a lot of effort and skill to depict well, and I don't blame creators for not wanting to let it suck up all the air in the room. However, I think it's important to acknowledge that platonic relationships can also be flanderised and flattened.

In the context of fandom, which has always traded heavily in Romance genre conventions, I would really like to see more thoughtful explorations of complicated nonromantic relationships. I'm not even talking about genfic here! I've actually been thinking about Stobin specifically because that relationship (rightly & understandably) tends to show up in any Steve-centric fic, including the vast ocean of Steddie fics, so it makes the issue slightly more visible than I've seen in other fandoms.

I'm not saying I want to see them fight, or not be friends, or not love each other fiercely and near-obsessively in the way that lonely teenagers can. I'm just saying I want them to be distinct individuals who view the world in very different ways, and choose each other anyway. They already have a complicated past; I know from personal experience that it's possible as a lesbian to be best friends with a guy who once made a little speech about how into you he was, but that little layer of history never quite goes away.

I don't want frictionless relationships in my life. I want people who will challenge me and whom I can challenge, in the context of love and trust. I want people in my life whom I have to work to understand, because my life is richer when I do. And sometimes, I want narratives that will reflect the grief of friendships that are no longer part of my life, despite the best efforts of everyone involved.

In Merrily, Charley sings, "Friendship's something you don't really lose—" but Radcliffe's thready, pleading delivery makes it all too clear: Charley already knows he's lying. The audience just needs to catch up.

*Other essays in that particular graveyard: understanding the cast of Peanuts through the lens of anomie, humor and subversive linguistic nationalism in 00s Singaporean TV, how to fix Miss Saigon. WHY am I this way.

[sondheim-girly]

HELL YEAH JONATHON GROFF, LINDSAY MENDEZ, AND DANIEL RADCLIFFE ALL GOT TONY NOMINATIONS LIFE IS GOOD

[dingus0401]

currently in my week of standardized testing at my school, so someone pls tell me why I’m more worried abt the tony nominations in the morning than the actual test…

[elevenhopperz]

my cousin and i’s “top twenty things from riverdale” (as people who haven’t watched since season 3):

1. “you’re diagnosing me with daddy issues?”

2. jingle jangle

3. dark betty

4. “have you ever seen me without this stupid hat? that’s weird!”

5. jughead and betty’s singing battle/every musical sequence on the show.

6. serial killer genes

7. “because we’re endgame archie.”

8. the farm

9. edgar’s rocketship

10. edgar’s wife pretending to be his daughter.

11. ethel coming back every five minutes

12. chic…that is all

13. the gargoyle king

14. “the triumphs and defeats, the epic highs and lows of high school football.”

15. archie’s bear attack that left almost no scarring.

16. monica posh

17. “archiekinz” and “daddykinz”

18. riverdale season 2 episode 14: “the hills have eyes.”

19. cheryl pouring blood all over herself and threatening her mother.

20. mad world.

[suddenlyschwinn]

if the merrily trio doesnt get nominated for tonys istg

[twenty-words-or-less]

Don't Kill It

Summary: Jebediah Woodley (Dolph Lundgren) has spent his entire life hunting a demon who enjoys possessing people, then possessing the person who kills that possessed person. He teams up with FBI agent Evelyn Pierce (Kristina Klebe) in yet another attempt to stop it.

Absolutely ridiculous, fun horror comedy that went largely unnoticed on release. Lundgren’s favourite role, apparently. Can see why.

Rating: 4/5

Photo credit: Universal Dork

[hold-out-my-sweet]

this camera angle is so goofy they all look tiny

[peeps4christian]

timeless toni storm vs aj lee. book it, tony.

[bungandmunchpi]

Sorry now that I've started New York Posting I can't stop but:

Little Tonys wishlist I wrote in a fugue state last night! Just centered around the shows I saw in person.

Stereophonic: it's gonna get in everywhere I think and probably sweep BUT all the actors are in Featured Actor in a Play and it's slowly killing me. I think Sarah Pidgeon's definitely getting in, maybe Juliana Canfield, and I think at least one of Tom Pecinka, Eli Gelb, and Will Brill are getting in. I thought before that they might bump Sarah and Tom up to lead, but now they're all in Featured it's really interesting/stressful (delete as appropriate). Previously I would have said Eli gets in and maybe Will, and Tom can mix it with the big lads, but now I'm wondering if Tom gets in just because Peter is almost the biggest role in the show, and then probably Eli because he already has another nom (can't remember which awards body it is, sorry). I think Eli and Will both getting in and not Tom would be super harsh, but I wouldn't be surprised if that did happen. Would love Will Butler to get into Score too, and I'm feeling reasonably optimistic about that!

Merrily: again it's getting in everywhere and probably sweeping. I wouldn't be shocked if all three leads won in the end: Groff Lead, and Lindsay Mendez and Daniel Radcliffe both Featured. I'm not super familiar with how stacked Featured is for Musicals, but I think Krystal Joy Brown and Katie Rose Clarke are both fab so would love if one of them snuck in. I also saw someone talking about Reg Rogers getting into Featured if the nominators really go for Merrily, which would be fun, but I have a feeling Featured Actor in a Musical is gonna be too busy, particularly since Illinoise haven't got anyone in Lead.

Enemy of the People: Strong's getting in and I would say probably the frontrunner for Lead? I think it's getting in for Revival too but I think Sam Gold might be on slightly shaky ground, which I'd say is fair given how strong Director of a Play is this year. I think Imperioli too, but I'd love there to be space for Caleb Eberhardt, although I can't imagine there will be.

Appropriate: again super strong, I think it's going to get a whole bunch of nominations. Lead Actress is a barnburner this year: Paulson v Lange v McAdams is going to be such a good race, and I think the general consensus is that the production is the runaway favourite for Revival, which is great. Featured Actor in a Play haunts me: everyone seems to be predicting Corey Stoll and not Michael Esper, but yesterday Time Out New York had Esper in their own picks (not predictions), and he got a Drama Desk nom and Corey Stoll didn't. I'm crossing every single digit I have that this holds out and we get Michael Esper Tony nominee! He's one of my favourite actors and (bias aside) I think he's so fantastic in Appropriate, and the more deserving of the two (sorry Corey).

Side note: didn't get to see Days of Wine and Roses as it had CLOSED by the time I got to NYC (I'm looking at you, everyone who didn't buy tickets), but Brian and Kelli are locks for Lead, and I'd love it to get in in Musical and Score. I think Brian v Groff and Kelli v everyone else are going to be very interesting races!!

[jgroffdaily]

@coreymach the LOVE in this theater today is BEYOND (but especially in this scene!) ♥️ 7️⃣

[rosebug3]

Thoughts????

(cause I don’t know enough theater people and need to discuss this with someone!)

[cliffburton]

tony iommi as a butch would've been the hottest thing ever

[queenofinys]

Former Elphabas nominated at the 2024 Tony Awards Eden Espinosa, Lindsay Mendez, and Shoshana Bean

[bestmusicalworldcup]

The Tony Awards Eligibility Committee has confirmed the eligibility status of 10 productions this season: Grey House, Once Upon A One More Time, Here Lies Love, The Cottage, Back to the Future: The Musical, The Shark is Broken, Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch, Jaja’s African Hair Braiding, Merrily We Roll Along, and Gutenberg! The Musical!

Notably, it has been determined that Daniel Radcliffe and Lindsay Mendez will be eligible for Best Featured Actor/Actress rather than Best Leading Actor/Actress.

It seems most other determinations made decided whether a performer qualified for Leading or Featured Actor/Actress or how Projection Designers were categorized.