fuck… I told myself that I wasn’t going to write this meta but…
[spoilers for The Greatest Showman]
CAN I JUST SAY HOW MUCH I LOVE THE PERFORMANCE OF REWRITE THE STARS?
Not only do you see, hear and FEEL the want and desire [and love] that these two feel for the other, but what I adore about this particular act is that it’s a complete metaphor for their love story.
You have Anne, who is a beautiful and talented aerialist. You have Philip, who is an upper-class society playwright.
Two key elements play into this particular performance: the unlimited [and sometimes terrifying without a net] air vs. the very real, solid all-encompassing ground.
In fact, when the two first laid eyes on the other, Anne is in the air and Philip is on the ground.
In the start of Rewrite the Stars, Philip tries to talk to her
“You know I want you// It’s not a secret I try to hide//
I know you want me// So don’t keep saying our hands are tied…”
and Anne isn’t having it. She wants to be in a space that feels safe and makes sense to her… Flying up in the air.
And Anne is completely in her element; up in the air and literally out of Philip’s reach.
Throughout the first couple of moments in the song, Philip is having a damned time trying to catch up and be on her level.
“You claim it’s not in the cards// But fate is pulling you miles away// And out of reach from me// But you’re here in my heart// So who can stop me if I decide
that you’re my destiny?”
The irony is that the “ground” could also be seen as their reality, the real world outside of those walls, the world that sees and divides [with racism, with classism] the two of them. It’s why Anne avoids the ground and keeps to the sky while Philip tries his best to catch her.
“You think it’s easy// You think I don’t want to run to you
But there are mountains// And there are doors that we can’t walk through…”
When it’s obvious that keeping her close to him won’t work, he now scrambles to keep up WITH HER. Philip does his best to take to the air just to be with her…
To the point where the two of them are finally together on equal ground [so to speak]. Their togetherness, their love, in the air is also a thing a beauty.
“How do we rewrite the stars?// Say you were made to be mine?//
Nothing can keep us apart// Cause you are the one I was meant to find//
It’s up to you// And it’s up to me//
No one can say what we get to be//
And why don’t we rewrite the stars?// Changing the world to be ours…”
And that’s the point. It was only when they were together as equals, holding each other and trusting the other to catch them when the other falls, and off the “ground” did their love become a sight to behold.
… Sadly when the song ends and both are back on the ground, it’s Anne who pulls and walks away. “You know I want you// It’s not a secret I try to hide// But I can’t have you// We’re bound to break and my hands are tied”
And I just…. HAVE SO MANY FEELINGS ABOUT THIS.
[gifs aren’t mine, but the feels are… so much of them]
This was a serious ‘room where it happened’ moment: Last year, I got to do a reading of THE GREATEST SHOWMAN. Hugh was supposed to be on vocal rest following a surgery so Jeremy sang his part. The entire presentation, you could see Hugh just itching to break out and sing, and finally in the last song, he couldn’t contain it anymore. Getting to be in a room with those folks, singing music written by my friends Benj and Justin, was a moment I’ll never forget. Check out this video from that day and don’t forget to go see THE GREATEST SHOWMAN this Christmas!
Don’t mention a person’s past mistakes when they are trying to change. That’s like throwing rocks at them while they are struggling to climb a mountain.