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hotvintagepoll · 1 month

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Propaganda

Kay Francis (Jewel Robbery, I Loved A Woman, British Agent)— kay francis was an icon of glamor in her time and a top star of the 30s - she was the highest-paid actress at warner bros from 1930 to 1936. she tended to play characters who were charming, sophisticated, and elegantly dressed, and starred in at least one legitimate masterpiece, the sublime 1932 comedy trouble in paradise. her first big role was in the marx brothers movie the cocoanuts in 1929, and she and william powell made seven movies together between 1930 and 1932. even in her sillier movies she always elevates the material with her charm and presence - she never phones it in and there’s a sort of warm, knowing wittiness about her. a really good short promo from a retrospective of her movies that i think really gets her Vibe across

Elisabeth Welch (Song of Freedom, Big Fella, Dead of Night)— Starry-eyed, honey-voiced, magnetic. A Broadway star in the 1920s, she SHOULD have become a torch-singing Hollywood star when talking pictures came in. Instead she was faced with Hollywood racism, so she moved to Europe and juggled British movie roles and a top-class cabaret career. (Heard the classic songs "Stormy Weather" or "Love For Sale" or "As Time Goes By"? She introduced them all.) You need to hear her croon, so here she is co-starring with certified hot vintage man Paul Robeson [video below the cut]

This is round 2 of the tournament. All other polls in this bracket can be found here. Please reblog with further support of your beloved hot sexy vintage woman.

[additional propaganda submitted under the cut.]

Kay Francis:

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Jewel Robbery clip

"From 1932 through 1936, Francis was the queen of the Warner Bros. lot, and, increasingly, her films were developed as star vehicles. By 1935, Francis was one of the highest-paid actors, earning a yearly salary of $115,000, dwarfing the $18,000 Bette Davis – who would one day occupy Francis's dressing room – made. From 1930 to 1937, Francis appeared on the covers of 38 film magazines, second only to child sensation Shirley Temple's 138." Source: Wikipedia. Kay Francis is like the MOST FAMOUS Actress from the 1930s you've never heard of--and it was her and Norma Shearer who wore and made classic the 1930s tall, slim, bias cut silhouette. She ALSO has a WHOLE PODCAST episode devoted to her life and career in Hollywood--it's fascinating! She is both tough and a total wet cat.

One of the TALLEST Warner Brother stars at 5’9” and known as a “clothes horse” for her glamorous roles wearing the height of 1930s fashion. She fell out of popularity in the 40s, but her 30s work sizzles. The scene with her and Herbert Marshall in Trouble in Paradise where she says she doesn’t care about his reputation (because she’d rather sleep with him?) HAWOOGA

melted my gay heart with her butch look in stolen holiday

"My life? Well, I get up at a quarter to six in the morning if I'm going to wear an evening dress on camera. That sentence sounds a little ga-ga, doesn't it? But never mind, that's my life ... As long as they pay me my salary, they can give me a broom and I'll sweep the stage. I don't give a damn. I want the money ... When I die, I want to be cremated so that no sign of my existence is left on this earth. I can't wait to be forgotten." —From Kay Francis's private diaries, c. 1938

Elisabeth Welch:

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#elisabeth welch #kay francis #fuck that old woman #hotvintagepoll #ladies 2 #Youtube

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asumictransl · 7 months

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Voice in Blue Guest Messages

translation on (09/22/2023)

From the Voice in Blue concert booklet

Messages from Asumi Rio's four top musumeyaku, and her classmate!

Content below the cut

Ranno Hana

Q1. What comes to mind when you think of Asumi Rio?

In the past, meat! The day before a shinjin kouen or shonichi she would take me out to eat some meat and then we’d quickly disperse! Ah... I wish I could say something cuter. Asumi, how are you doing now?

Q2. If you could appear together in a show together again, what kind of relationship would you like to play?

I love her Matsugae Kiyoaki in Spring Snow, so an extremely sadistic and arrogant person...... No, wait, I’d like to bicker on stage with an extremely arrogant Asumi (laughs)!

Q3. A message for Asumi Rio’s 20th Anniversary

Asumi, congratulations on your 20th anniversary. From her hatsubutai in Senor Don Juan, even when I was a fan, I always watched Asumi shining on stage...... Then I too became a part of Moon Troupe, and we were paired together for the first time in Fancy Dance’s chuuzume, then from there it was every performance. Then there was the Yume no Ukihashi shinjin kouen, then my transfer, and then finally our fateful reunion in Flower Troupe. She also had that truly unexpected Elisabeth ohirome. I was happy from the bottom of my heart to be able to sing, dance, and act with her again.

Asumi Rio is a glimmer of hopeful light!! Throughout these 20 years, I’ve always felt this way. Today I’d like to celebrate with all of my love with the other former wives and you guys!

Kano Maria

Q1. What comes to mind when you think of Asumi Rio?

Courage.

I was able to study under and be guided by such an incredibly courageous person known as Asumi Rio. Even after accomplishing a beautiful change from otokoyaku to actress, the way I see courage in her is everlasting. She would give me advice on how to be better on stage while wiping away my tears, and when I almost fell down the stairs in stage rehearsals she firmly grabbed me and saved me...... There’s too many times like that to list where her courage was on display!

Q2. If you could appear together in a show together again, what kind of relationship would you like to play?

Something unlike in our Takarazuka era with a simple set, like a play dialogue heavy show, and our roles being close to one another (what a luxury that would be). Something like a relationship between two people who happened to be sitting next to each other on the shinkansen, or two regular customers to a cozy cafe...... My dreams are endless.

Q3. A message for Asumi Rio’s 20th Anniversary

Congratulations on your 20th anniversary. I am truly honored to be able to be a part of your celebratory concert. Asumi will always be my driving force. For that ever-shining person, from the bottom of my heart here is my utmost respect and thanks. Here’s to a wonderful concert!

Senna Ayase

Q1. What comes to mind when you think of Asumi Rio?

Hydrangeas!

I heard that she liked them, and whenever hydrangeas come in season and begin to bloom I always think of Asumi. Nowadays, whenever I see a pretty one blooming on the roadside I always get happy and take a picture...... so now my phone’s camera roll is full of pictures (laughs). At some point they became one of my favorite flowers!

Q2. If you could appear together in a show together again, what kind of relationship would you like to play?

Childhood friends! I think it would be really fun to play an affectionate drinking scene talking to each other. I always thought that scenes where Asumi was drunk were so excellent and impressive, so the fans must also love it, right?!

Q3. A message for Asumi Rio’s 20th Anniversary

Congratulations on your 20th anniversary! I have been so moved and inspired by the way you always think so thoroughly about your roles and pour all the love that you have into playing each and every one. To be able to celebrate such a momentous anniversary with you makes me truly happy. I’ll sing with every bit of heart and care.

Yuki Hana

Q1. What comes to mind when you think of Asumi Rio?

She never compromises anything no matter what.

If she has the slightest bit of time, she’s training, practicing her singing, it’s an image that’s seared into my brain... her after rehearsals alone doing those voluntary trainings. Of course her costumes and accessories as well, and her specific angles, etc; she’s particular about everything down to the millimeter. Witnessing that part of Asumi up close, spending those years with her, it gave me truly invaluable experiences in my life.

Q2. If you could appear together in a show together again, what kind of relationship would you like to play?

I really love Asumi singing “Ai wo tomenai de” in her concert Love Arena (I love any Asumi though) just before she retired, and I think the lyrics, “Because I will protect you no matter what,” were a nosebleed moment for everyone else too. Just like these lyrics, my delusion is wanting to see a delinquent Asumi, and get taken out on a date by said delinquent Asumi...

Q3. A message for Asumi Rio’s 20th Anniversary

Asumi, congratulations on your 20th anniversary. I am truly happy to be able to celebrate with you like this. I am the utmost grateful for the miracle of having Asumi come to live as Asumi Rio, and being able to meet and hold such a relationship like this. I will continue to pray for Asumi’s continued health and happiness from here on.

Nagina Ruumi

Q1. What comes to mind when you think of Asumi Rio?

A translucent being. Going back to around 23 years ago, on the day of Takarazuka’s entrance exam day, I passed by Sayumi* in the hallway and I had to look again because she was shining with cuteness and beauty. ‘These are the kind of girls that get accepted,’ I thought. Our examination numbers were close, and we also sat opposite of each other once, such translucent skin and beauty, I just sat there and gazed at her without thinking. Even now this hasn’t changed a bit, when we had the chance to do a job together for the first time in forever the other day, I excitedly threw out a barrage of questions like, “Why are you so cute!” “Why do you just glow like that!” (laughs).

Q2. If you could appear together in a show together again, what kind of relationship would you like to play?

When we performed together we were parent and child, so something outside of that, as long as the roles are sufficiently intertwined with each other!

Q3. A message for Asumi Rio’s 20th Anniversary

Congrats on your 20th anniversary concert. When you think about it, we have a 20-some year relationship. Not just your translucent beauty, but also that translucent* heart you have always had continues to heal me. An actress that with such translucence added on top of the talent of working hard, has the charm of being able to be painted in any role. I have nothing but respect for her. I’m truly happy to have been classmates with Sayumi, and now once again be able to star with her like this. She has an irreplaceable existence. Here’s to eternity, from now until we become (grandpas?) grandmas.

I’m truly looking forward to Sayumi’s continued growth in her life as an actress. Notes:

*Mirio's real name is Sayumi, so this is what her classmates call her.

*What Kacha means by 'translucent heart' likely some sens of 'pure', but she uses the same word she used to describe her beauty so I kept it for effect.

Wow long time no post... It's not that I haven't been trying to translate I've just never finished anything lol. But yes its been a crazy year both in terms of Mirio and just normal life!! I'm sure most of you know my Mirio happenings (if you don't just know I'm living my best life), and who would have guessed that even though theater is so much fun, going on top of school and work stills drains so much energy out of you. I'm going to do my best to translate more things out of this concert booklet because it honestly has so much content and the concert was just, long story short, amazing. Thanks for reading!!

#asumi rio #rio asumi #takarazuka #kano maria #ranno hana #senna ayase #yuki hana #hana yuki #nagina ruumi #takarazuka revue

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musicalresolution · 10 months

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Round 1 A Match 4

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Propaganda under the cut

Judas

god is satan is jesus, and judas is just some guy who was thrown into the thick of it all.

the way god/satan/jesus insists that she "needs it" (the betrayal) makes me think. the strange tenderness of it all. the malloy typical forlorn-ness.

the fourth wall breaking when judas asks "who made this puppet" in reference to satan who is represented by a handpuppet on the actress who plays god/jesus.

IDK it's absurd it's existential it's almost sweet idk man i love this show

Die Schatten Werden Länger

It's a duet between Kronprinz Rudolf (the only son of Empress Sissi) and his suicidal thoughts personified in the form of the grim reaper, who has been following Rudolf sincw his childhood and urges him to join him.

The writing is beautiful, Uwe Kröger plays Death/the grim reaper like an otherworldly entity

The choreography and staging works really well to show Rudolf desperation and helplessness and symbolizes how he feels trapped and only sees one way out.

It's like a creepy subversion of the classic love duet in the way how, as the song progresses, Rudolf gets less and less resistant towards Death's advances.

The choreo also very erotic at times which makes sense because in the show Death is portrayed as a lover to those he wants to take and he kills his victims with a kiss

sopping wet pathetic gay prince got seduced by sexy eldritch entity representimg his suicidal tendecies and mental illnesses

#round 1 #musical theater #clown bible musical #elisabeth das musical #clown bible #elisabeth #judas #die schatten werden länger

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glassprism · 7 months

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there is a big difference in acting styles between eastern and western people, especially in tv. Is there the same difference in theater?

So I may be the wrong person to ask this, because as a Chinese-American who straddles both the "east" and the "west" and who watches movies and the occasional TV show from both sides, I don't see much difference at all! At least in terms of emotional affect, I get the same whether I'm watching "eastern" or "western" media, and maybe that's just my brain being split between them, but yeah, that's all I can tell you lol. (Unless you're thinking of, like, Chinese soap operas or k-dramas or something? Because yeah those I don't watch and for all I know the acting is different there, but I imagine the genre plays as much a factor there as anything else.)

As for theater, I think my knowledge is pretty spotty and is centered almost entirely on East Asian theater (Japan, Korea, China), and even then there are large gaps. Like, I'm pretty familiar with Korean musicals, I've watched quite a few different shows from there (and they're excellent! Korean musical theatre is really underrated outside of, you know, Korean musical theatre fans). With Japan I'm mainly confined to a few select shows and companies, which I think skews my perceptions (let me tell you, Takarazuka can be really different from the rest of Japanese musical theatre). And with China the only thing I've seen is their production of Phantom (I'm not counting the World Tours that have gone there, to me that's "western" musicals taking a visit to the east). So take whatever I say next with a pretty big grain of salt.

For Korean musical theatre, I honestly don't find much if any difference in their acting styles. Watching their versions of Phantom, Elisabeth, Wicked, and so on, it affects me just as much emotionally as any other production I've watched; if there are any differences, I find it's usually because of an individual actor, not because of some culture-wide trend.

For Japanese musical theatre, I think they do tend to go for a more restrained, subtle form of acting, and a lot of them do come off more reserved, but I can also think of a number of exceptions. Also, since my main expertise is Phantom, it's difficult for me to make generalizations because, if you don't know, the Japanese production uses pre-recorded orchestrations anytime the production plays outside Tokyo (and Yokohama in 2017), and that forces an actor to work within a very rigid structure in order to stay in time with the music. And then on Takarazuka's end, they have a certain aesthetic and style of their own that the actresses have to adhere too. So it's hard for me to make sweeping statements because there's always that thought in the back of my head: "Okay, is it a culture thing or is it because the music is pre-recorded? Is it a culture thing or is it just Takarazuka being Takarazuka?"

For Chinese musical theatre, I've only watched their version of Phantom. And the videos all look like this. I'm not ungrateful, mind you, I'm just pointing out that it's hard for me to say anything about anyone's acting because they all look like white dots on my screen.

#GP gets asks #anonymous #I am the worst for this question bc I've grown up with both so I think both are normal hahaha

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stillpreoccupiedwith1985 · 4 months

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BTTF Year-End Tag Game!

I was tagged by @cheriboms! Thanks for the tag!

How many times would you guess you watched the first back to the future movie?

Ummm let’s see, I may say about 4 or 5, I forgot. However, I did go and watch it in theaters this year!

Did you get any sweet bttf merch? If so, what!

Okay so I hyperfixated this year and when that happens I start collecting. I got my Loungefly bag from 707 Street (still available!), the Lego DeLorean, a Marty Pop to go with my Doc that I had forever, and a Back to the Future cookbook.

How many cans of Pepsi Free did you chug this year?

None, the only Pepsi I like is Wild Cherry (and better than Cherry Coke). I am more of a Dr. Pepper girl.

What was a favorite bttf fanfic you read this year?

Again hyperfixated, so I devour fan works! One that I go back to is I Jump Off And Into Your Arms (But I Don’t Trust the Fall) by Goddess of Confusion

https://archiveofourown.org/works/49698481/chapters/125443009#workskin

Also It's a beautiful thing (two out of three ain't bad) by @penny-anna https://archiveofourown.org/works/50192956

I am a sucker for wing fics, but I also really love all of Penny’s works!

A favorite bttf fanart you saw this year? (please give us a link, not a screencap/repost!)

All of @future-boi’s work! Also the Animations that @cheriboms makes (especially the one with the audio from Bluey, Cheri you need to do one with the audio of Bandit saying ‘It was the 80’s!’ 😉)

Did you create any bttf fanart or fanfic? If you did, what one(s) are you proudest of?

I am currently working on a multi chapter fic that is a crossover with the podcast called The Bright Sessions, where Marty is getting therapy.

But I have made a one shot called Maybe We Should Get Married in the Chapel O’Love https://archiveofourown.org/works/51528580

It isn’t the greatest fic, mostly I wanted to get my thoughts down and I wanted tooth rotting fluff of Marty and Jennifer.

How many times were you late for school this year?

Okay so I am a teacher! Now we are contracted to be at the school at a certain time and pick/meet the students at a certain time. Have I been late for the contracted time this year? Yes, many times. Was I ever late getting the students? Never.

Did you watch any other movies/tv shows with BTTF actors in them?

SO MUCH CHRISTOPHER LLOYD! He is like everywhere! I was rewatching King of the Hill and at one point I was like ‘that grounds keeper sounds familiar.’ And it is Christopher Lloyd!

Michael J Fox is in my top favorite Disney movie! Atlantis The Lost Empire, I watch that movie at least once a year. I also played a bit of Homeward Bound this year for my students of Chance (the dog Michael J Fox voices) yelling ‘It’s Birdzilla!’

Also Elisabeth Shue in Adventures in Babysitting. Funny is one point I was thinking of a Jennifer adventure where she is watching Jules and Verne and it turns into Adventures in Babysitting and then I realized, ‘Wait that is the same actress!’

Pat Buttram who was Jeb also voices Napoleon in the Aristocats.

Was there a memorable moment you heard a Huey Lewis song this year?

I heard Back in Time in the car when I was on a weekend trip with other teachers this year and I had so much fun that weekend with them.

How many times did you fall down this year?

At least three, and that was playing kickball with my students at recess.

Did you get to see BTTF: The Musical? What was your experience like!

No.

Though I am working on a trip to New York to watch and go fabric shopping. Legit doing a two day trip. Fly in, see the musical, spend the night, day out, spend the night, and go home.

How many times did your mom retell the story of how she and your father met?

Because I live two hours away, most of the time when we call or see each other. We are catching up with each other. If she tells stories about the past, it is more of my late grandfather. More accurate is how many times my mom tells me about the pineapple story.

If you could describe your year in a BTTF quote, which one would it be?

I think it is a tie with “If you put your mind to it, you can accomplish anything.” And “I finally invented something that works!” Mostly I was trying new thinks with my teaching and with cosplay.

⚡️LIGHTNING ROUND⚡️ Did you get to: go on any trains, skate on a skateboard, ride a horse, drive a Delorean, run in the rain, go to a dance, hang up a clock, play the guitar, pull an all-nighter, read science fiction, or drive thru Burger King this year?

No, no, no, no, yes, yes, yes, kind of, no, yes, and yes.

Your future is whatever you make it! So what are you going to make of this coming year?

Just pull myself out of my funk this year and go out more!

Cause I was late with this if you wish to do this you can!

#back to the future #bttf #bttf year-end tag game

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fitzrove · 1 year

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🔥 Elisabeth unpopular opinions!

I think like 90% of my posts are this... xD But then again, it can be hard to know what opinions are really "unpopular", because there's such an incredible diversity of opinion in the fandom :D

I'm limiting myself to five rapid-fire ones...

1. The Essen/Stuttgart staging/directing and therefore those productions aren't that great or enjoyable to watch jfkgkf. Like, it's more trouble than it's worth, so to speak... It's where Tod's not-that-great costumes come from (Yan Tax made the Essen ones), and in general it's where things started going kitsch with the direction. Plus it has Conspiracy which makes me so mad 🤣

2. KKOG is a better song that Schwarzer Prinz... 😭😂 Listen, the original 1992 "wie du reprise" (mama, wenn ich älter werde...) is the only valid option. Schwarzer Prinz is soo simple and dull in terms of lyrics, and while it's better than KKOG in that at least it's Elisabeth POV, I never listen to it. Don't get me wrong, I'm still happy Vienna 2003-5 doesn't have KKOG.

3. Ajkgkd this is such a random thing that has no bearing on the actual show but every time I bring up my wish to see a woman play Tod in Europe someday, there are at least 10 people who suggest Dutch musical actress Pia Douwes for the part. While I admire Pia and her talent as a performer, these people are ignoring that by saying I want to see a woman as Tod I really mean I want to cast myself. JSKGKDKDKD okay joking but in general I'd love for someone unknown and up-and-coming to do it if it happened, and preferably not a soprano!!!

4. Idk if this is unpopular but Fritz Schmid is a super awesome Rudolf 🥺 It's really him who made a big difference in me getting into Elisabeth so intensely (and staying around for several years). I don't actually find Lukas' or Jesper's performances as "chewable" (ajfkdkdl) and multifaceted, even though I like them very much.

5. Again, don't know if unpopular, but I find the 2005 Prolog without the overlapping lines from different characters better than the 1992/2019/2022 version. Needs a good Lucheni to work, obviously, but I think the overlapping melodies version is a bit on the nose... Unfortunately, considering it happened in Brussels, I think that this version of the opening is becoming a permanent fixture of the show again.

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armandjolras · 1 year

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🔥 der Tod or Elisabeth das musical in general if you would prefer

I’ll just do Elisabeth in general — I don’t think i have many unpopular tod opinions!

I’ve seen the wie du reprise/Spiegel sequence of Essen stated as an improvement over the original, and I disagree. Both WDR stagings show Sisi’s mental health struggles, but the Essen staging/styling doesnt fit her character arc — she comes across as mad in a glitzy bohemian way, too much like what she actually wanted from wie du. The original staging is unglamorous and perfectly shows how different her life is from what she wanted. For spiegel, the original staging (Rudolf in front of the mirror and the faint image of Sisi behind) is flawless. I get why people like Essen having Rudolf hug Sisi, but I think it removes Sisi’s physical detachment from Rudolf and their mirrored isolation.

Alice Macura is very underrated and the only actress in a long time who has captured the darkness/ugliness of the character.

The Essen prod is absolutely stunning, each scene* is composed so beautifully it looks like a living painting. The original prod is not beautiful in this way — it’s staging is sometimes strange and harsh and abstract, which works for that version of the show, but sometimes I like to see a beautiful prod too. (* except act 2 schatten, i think that staging is really bad ahsdhs)

I disagree with the common critique that recent Sisi actresses struggle with older Sisi but are good at playing young Sisi, because I have just as much of an issue with their portrayals of young Sisi. The original Sisis either had an ethereal quality indicating a natural proximity to death, or were special in some way to show why Tod was drawn to them. Recent Sisis are just cute and disneyish. (I dont blame the actors, I think this is a direction issue)

#thanks for asking!!#this turned out longer than I expected 😭

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inapat16 · 1 year

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Similar stories of girls in uniform: 1. Mädchen in uniform

Portraying two women loving each other on screen has not always been an easy thing, and we can even say that, unfortunately, it is still occasional today. But there is a recurrent narrative form that allowed some movies to depict lesbians in cinema, more or less clearly. It came from the literary genre of the “boarding school story” that became popular in the late XIXth century and at the beginning of the XXth. In this genre, there are in particular similar stories written by women about their teenage years in all-girl boarding school and their awakening to love in this feminine context. Because these books were well-liked, some directors decided to adapt them on screen.

One of the first to be adapted for the cinema was the German play Gestern und Heute (“Yesterday and today”), written by Christa Winsloe in 1930. It depicts the awakening to love of Manuela, a teenage girl in a Prussian boarding school, towards one of her teachers, Elisabeth von Bernburg.

It was first brilliantly adapted by Leontine Sagan in 1931 under the title Mädchen in uniform (“Girls in uniform”) which was a huge commercial success at the time and was really appreciated across Europe. Its popularity is in particular due to the fact that it is a talking picture. It was released at the beginning of the sound era, but if some of these films had really theatrical stagings, this one is played more authentically, almost in the same way than what we can see in contemporary cinema, so it aged well. This movie is also singular with its all female cast! It treats its female characters with great respect, which can be a bit surprising for the time considering the subject, but it is most likely because Christa Winsloe, the writer of the play which was inspired by her life, and Leontine Sagan, the director of the movie, were both lesbians.

This movie may seem modern for its time (especially the scene where the teacher comes to say goodnight to the heroine by kissing her) but the context of Germany after World War 1 helped to produce such a film: it was the Roaring Twenties.

If today we can be shocked to see an adult seducing young girls, and also sense the imbalance in this type of relationship, it was absolutely not something that was discussed at the time the movie came out. The critics of the time did not mention that aspect of the movie at all. If the movie was later put under censorship, it is not for its luxurious aspect but because it also condemns fascism. When the German Reich appeared in 1933, they even tried to burn all of the existing prints of the movie but, fortunately, we are still able to see it today.

Maybe that was what the director had in mind in the 1958 remake, Mädchen in uniform, directed by Géza von Radványi. This version, in colour, is really softer on all its political aspects. The choice of the young actress Romy Schneider, who had just finished portraying the Empress Elizabeth of Austria in Sissi, also shows that this film was thought for all kinds of audience. The condemnation of Prussian fascism is softened, and the lesbian aspect of the movie is less visible: the teacher Elisabeth Von Bernburg can be seen as, instead of a lover, a motherly figure.

Nevertheless, this version is still beautiful and allowed another generation to discover this story, which helped the first movie to gain a cult status.

These two examples of boarding school movies are not the only ones to depict women loving each other, and I will continue with another similar story adapted from another book next time!

Zoé Richard

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thekatebridgerton · 2 years

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The tea is that, while probably a lovely enough person, phoebe is an unremarkable nepotistic white girl who got extraordinarily lucky being cast in Bridgerton. She’s fortunate she had the best chemistry with Regé. Phoebe’s not shown herself to be nearly as talented as her peers (Yes, I saw the colour room. She was more energetic than in Bridgerton, I’ll give her that…)

I also am annoyed by how the fandom weirdly infantilizes her and pretends she’s some brilliant thespian, for what was just a serviceable performance (there was a tweet the other day saying she should have gotten an Emmy nomination — did you see any of the actually nominated performances? The idea that Phoebe deserved to be in the company of Elisabeth Moss and others is ludicrous). I think they prop her up because she’s the “good one” that stayed while RJP left the show.

If you are one of those people who thinks Phoebe did a good job as Daphne. Skip this post right now. If you're not get ready for a bit more of me not liking Phoebe's acting.

You know what's the part that really irks me now that S2 is coming out with a Desi main lead? It's that if Phoebe had been Black or Latina or Desi or Asian. The audiences WOULD HAVE CRUCIFIED HER for how she performed. You would be hearing left and right how she was barely ok, there would be critics analyzing her every comment, scene, body language and finding it as boring and uninspiring as it actually was.

And a little bit off topic I make this comment Camilla Cabello performed just barely okay in Cinderella and there were YouTube videos everywhere dissing her as an actress, where if Camilla had been white with the same boring acting, people would be calling for the blood of the movie director, not the actress.

With the exception of maybe Claudia Jesse, who played another main secondary character white girl. The Bridgerton cast of females had a lot of actresses who were part of a minority group and because of this, they had to work twice as hard to be taken seriously in the industry. And it shows in their acting. So when it comes down to it, Phoebe as a main female lead just couldn't keep up with the people around her and really felt boring in comparison.

And yeah that's the tea

#bridgerton #anti daphne bridgerton

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batwhimpix · 3 years

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Former Takarazuka Star Asumi Rio Special Interview: To Mirio, 10 Questions We Were Dying to Ask! | CLASSY

(translated by me 7/21/2021)

Bringing you the last in our series of short interviews celebrating Asumi Rio's name-bearing Hulu Original program, "Asumi Rio's Atelier." This time the topic is "10 Questions We Were Dying to Ask!" Mirio answers questions on subjects ranging from her Takarazuka era to her thoughts on marriage.

Q1 As the top star of Takarazuka's Flower Troupe, you gained an immense level of popularity. My impression talking to you is that you're a pretty understated person, but in a word, how would you describe your personality?

Hmm...Stubborn? I often get told I'm honest too, but I think I hear stubborn the most. I think it's probably because I have a very strong sense of how I want things to be, like "It has to be like this!" Even though I could really do to be a bit more flexible. Especially now that I've left Takarazuka and I'm deciding where to take my life next, I can't afford to just go with the flow. In order not to look back years from now and think, "How did I let this happen?", maybe I should be even more stubborn. (laughs) As long as I'm kind to the people around me, a little stubbornness is fine, right?

Q2 We've seen you make your skirt-wearing debut since leaving Takarazuka, and of course you look incredible in those too. How would you describe your personal fashion taste?

Since I can't dress up and go out for fun right now, I pick my clothes to suit the work I'm doing. Right after my retirement, I felt resistant toward wearing skirts. I was really nervous about being seen in them...But then I thought, "When I'm wearing one in a drama, it has to look natural!" And with that in mind, I mustered my courage and gave skirts a try. Now I've gotten to a point where I can freely choose between pants or a skirt depending on how I'm feeling each day.

Q3 You have a pet cat, Okoge-chan. What has he been up to lately?

He was staying at my parents' house until recently because I've been so busy with the dramas and theatre production. But he's home now, and it's back to being just the two of us. He's bringing me comfort everyday.

Q4 Do you have any music or artists you're really into right now? If so, shout them out!

I really never play any music at home. Of course I like music, but I end up listening to it too closely so I can't have it playing while I'm doing other things. But yesterday, I did listen to "Usseewa!" I really like the vocals, they're very easy on the ear.

Q5 What have you seen on stage recently?

I went to the closing night of my classmate Nozomi Fuuto's taidan production "fff -Fortississimo-"/"Silk Road ~Bandits and Jewels~". I was very happy I was able to see Nozomi in her graduation hakama.

Q6 What's tugged at your heartstrings recently?

There's so many things! My cat Okoge does things that make me melt everyday. In terms of work, I played Elisabeth in the Elisabeth Gala Concert the other day, and der Tod held me tight in his arms! Oh, maybe heartwarming is the wrong word for that... But in any case, I was overwhelmed with a kind of bliss I've never experienced before! I was playing a role with a son, so when my younger coworker who plays him called me "Mama," that warmed my heart as well!

Q7 If you were reincarnated, what would you want to be?

I'd want to be a human. I think I'd like to be a woman. And I would take the Takarazuka entrance exam again. With Nozomi! Actually we were together on her graduation day, tearing up like "In just a few minutes, the date will change and you won't be a Takarasienne anymore!" And the two of us were saying, "If we get reincarnated, let's hurry up and take the exam together again!" I don't really have any desire to be reborn as a man. I guess maybe because I've already experienced it through my roles. (laughs)

Q8 At your taidan press conference, you said, "I had four adorable wives (partner actresses), so I might have missed my chance for marriage." How do you feel now? Do you want to get married?

My desire to get married...I wonder where it went. (laughs) Actually, I might never have even had a time when I thought I wanted to get married someday. When I was around ken-5 (in her fifth year since her induction into the Revue), I was told by an upperclassman that I was "definitely the type to never marry." At the time I thought, "She's exactly right. I'll never marry." And since then, marriage has never once crossed my mind. If I got an offer from some rich oil baron I'd consider it, but. (laughs) Although, I say that as a joke, but over a luxurious refined lifestyle, I'd much sooner choose a path where I can say that my work is my greatest joy.

Q9 Appearing in serialized dramas for two cours in a row, you said you might be even busier now than when you were top star. What do you do to relieve stress and refresh yourself?

The simplest way is to eat something good! But to be honest, I don't really release my stress. I'm the type to condense it down, condense it down, and let it all pile up. I bottle it all up, and then release it all through my acting. I try to turn it into a more energetic performance. Even when I have a ton of stress piled up, I enjoy the feeling that "Ahh, I'm full up, I'm full capacity!" It's better not to be stressed at all, but I think it's important to fully experience this sensation as well.

Q10 First your classmate Nozomi Fuuto, and next your former partner actress Hana Yuuki announced their retirements. What did you tell them?

I'm so happy Nozomi was able to graduate without incident! First and foremost, I want her to take it easy. Moving is a hassle so I offered to help her but, always ahead of the curve in everything she does, by the time I reached out she was pretty much done. I had nothing to be worried about. (laughs) Hana has her closing night in Tokyo on July 4th. I told her before this on the phone, "Focus on what's right in front of you, and don't forget the gratitude you feel towards everyone." I'm positive it will be an excellent final performance.

Did you enjoy our last Asumi Rio special interview segment? You can see more of what the real Mirio is like on the Hulu Original program, "Asumi Rio's Atelier." Check it out!

#asumi rio #mirio #takarazuka #takarazuka og #i translated this bc i just think she's neat #that answer about relieving stress kind of scares me tho #love the marriage answer #stop asking ogs that question 2k21 #i took some liberties translating the article title bc i was trying to think what it'd be titled in an english magazine #last in a series of little fluff pieces #i love this photoshoot too #hanagumi #tkz #og #mytranslations

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archduchessofnowhere · 2 years

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Series review: SISI (2021) Episode 1 and 2

It's been 123 years since Elisabeth, Empress of Austria and Queen of Hungary, died aged 60 at the hands of an anarchist. And yet, she remains as famous, and I would dare to say as, if not more, beloved than ever. On-screen depictions of the Empress date as early as 1920, and over the course of the years dozens of actresses have made Elisabeth come to life in films, TV series and theatre. The most famous of all of them being the great late Romy Schneider, who played the Empress as a young girl in the classic Sissi Trilogy (1955-1957) directed by Ernst Marischka, and later reprised her role as a more mature, mysterious character in Luchino Visconti's Ludwig (1973), a biopic movie about Elisabeth's cousin, the ill-fated Fairy Tale King of Bavaria, Ludwig II.

When the series Sisi (2021) was announced, there was of course those who reacted with rejection, saying "Romy Schneider is the only Sisi! If is not her I don't want anyone to play her!!" (Romy's been dead for almost forty years now so this statement just means "never again make movies about Sisi"). But for those who, regardless of their feelings towards the Trilogy, really like the historical Elisabeth, this news were met with joy: perhaps, finally, we'll get a truthful portrayal of Sisi's youth. Casually, around the same time Netflix also announced their own series about Sisi, theirs named The Empress, which is currently being filmed and it's expected to premiere next year. And on top of that, two other movies, these centered on the later years of Elisabeth were also announced (Corsage and Sisi und ich, both also expected to premiere next year). Quoting a line from Elisabeth das Musical, "Elisabeth ist in".

Sisi (2021), therefore, had not only the weight of "carrying" Schneider's legacy, but also the pressure of having a direct competitor. While I highly doubt The Empress had any influence in the series' script or direction, it does creates this strange situation in which there is an informal "race" for becoming THE new series about Elisabeth. A race in which Sisi (2021) has a head start, for it already finished its production, has a release date of December and was renewned for a second season. Last month the first two episodes of the series premiered at the Cannes Series Festival in Paris, and for the delight of the "fandom" of the late Empress, these two episodes were available to watch for free in the Festival's website for two days. The subtitles were only in French, but that didn't stop us, non-German and non-French speakers, from watching them.

Starting in episode one with Elisabeth daydreaming about her first crush and ending in episode two with her waiting for Franz Josef in her bedchamber to consumate her marriage, these episodes were a first taste of what to expect from the rest of the show, from tone to characterization. Before the premiere the production team started to talk about how this was going to be a modern take on Sisi's life, and while I wasn't thrilled, I wasn't against it either. There's been a boom for modernized period dramas (The Great, Bridgerton, Dickinson, etc.) and I actually think that they can work very well, it all depends in what are they going for. However what is Sisi (2021) going for with it exactly is still a mystery to me that those first two episodes didn't solved. What it did solved was the mystery of what were we going to get out of this series in terms of telling one more time the story of the Empress Elisabeth. And boy do I have very mixed feelings about it. So, exactly how was this Sisi?

To begin this review with the more positive points, the production value of this series it's very high and it shows. When the first pictures were released I was worried that it might look "cheap", but I was very wrong. This series looks REALLY GOOD, the cinematography was on point through out the two episodes and it really plunged you into the story. This might be a bold statement given the gorgeous landscapes that are the background of the Sissi Trilogy, but honestly I think that this might be the best looking depiction of Sisi ever (as of now).

The costumes (for which I might write a review on their own) were honestly a dissapointment once the first behind the scenes photos came out and it was obvious that they weren't going for accuracy, but instead choose a modernized, artistic look. And yet surprinsingly they actually work very well on set, mainly for two reasons: first and most important, there is consistency. A lot of time historical costuming fails not because it's not "accurate", but because it's so inconsistent that you can't even point which era they're supossed to recreate (for a clear example, search "reign costumes" without reading the series' synopsis and try to guess in which year the story it's set). In Sisi, most of the costumes have a consistent silhouette so even if the dresses don't actually look like 1850s dresses they still look like they all belong to the same time and place. And thus, when a dress stands up, it does it on purpose (Elisabeth's black dress not only looked quite modern, it also looked drastically different to other dresses we see on the show and that it's the point). The second reason why I think the costumes work it's because they blend into the scene. The pallette color of the gowns (greys, blues, beiges) it's the same pallette color of the series, so the gowns naturally merge with the background: once again, even though they aren't accurate, they look like they belong there. Lastly, I'll add that since the direction the show took it's "modernized retelling of Sis's life" these stylized, modern-looking costumes make sense within the story. I'll expand upon this point later, but the series does have very over the top fictional plot lines that would be even more jarring if everyone was wearing extremly accurate clothing. By dressing Elisabeth and company in clearly syntetic fabrics, it's easier to accept that what you are watching it's fiction.

The acting in these first two episodes was quite solid, it should be noted that this is Dominique Devenport debut as a protagonist and still she seemed very confortable in her role. I feel she captured Elisabeth's charm very well, although this aged up version (I think they never mention Sisi's age but there is no way for Dominique to pass as a fifteen years old girl) isn't shy like her historical counterpart was; on the countrary, this Sisi is quite bold. Meanwhile, Jannik Schümann as Franz Josef is... something else, for sure. His acting was good if maybe a bit exaggerated, but I think that mostly comes from the script that they gave him, which made some wild decisions when it came to the Emperor's characterization (I'll talk more about it later).

Having mentioned the most positives aspects of this series, it's time to talk about the less positives, at least to me: the plot and characterization (the most important things lol).

I'm going to start by clarifying that I actually don't have a problem with historical fiction making stuff up. Sometimes there are things that need to be adapted or modified to work on screen, there are gaps that need to be filled. And that is the fun of historical fiction: to imagine what is in those gaps, what where this people saying and feeling behind closed doors. Of course, that doesn't mean that I have to like what is invented in these stories, specially if it's something wildly inaccurate or just straight up disrespectful to the real people being portrayed. Or, even worse, if it's something that it's just simply bad writing, regardless of wheter it actually happened or not (for example, I didn't dislike Versailles because it's very inaccurate, I disliked it because it's a poorly written TV drama). So when the creators of the show announced how this series was going to put a "modern" spin on Elisabeth's story, I new that there was going to be a least some fictionalization.

It turns out, "at least some" was an understatement.

The first episode covers the famous weekend at Ischl in which Franz Josef takes one look at his teenage cousin and becomes obssesed with her forever. This episode has a very good pacing, I was hooked watching it and I didn't even noticed that almost an hour had gone by until the credits started rolling, and even though it was retelling once again the most told moment in Elisabeth's life, it still felt fresh. I appreaciated the incorporation of Count Richard, a man that worked in service of Sisi's father Duke Max and was her first crush. The Duchess wrote many love poems about him and was very heartbroken when this young love came to nothing. I might be wrong, but I think this was the first time he ever appeared on-screen. Overall, this episode isn't too fictionalized, and the only Big That Didn't Happen Moment ocurred when, riding in the middle of a forest, Elisabeth and Franz Josef are attacked by Hungarian rebeles that randomly pop out in a very action packed scene.

My main problem with that scene it's that it has no consequence to the plot. Sisi comes back physically hurt and with her dress ragged from something that should've been a traumatic experience for a girl who grow up in quite, happy Possenhofen and has never faced the dangers of the world. She was almost killed and yet by the next scene it's all forgotten and she never seems to have been affected by any of what happened to her. The Emperor almost gets killed and still no one brings it up ever again. What was the point of adding something that just never happened if you aren't going to do anything with it? It seems that the sole purpose of it was to create a "brutal forest scene whose layered sexual adrenaline fast-tracks the relationship [of Elisabeth and Franz Josef], but as one of equals". Wasn't any other way of creating a moment like this?

And this isn't even the most over the top fictional plot line we get: the second episode, in my opinion far inferior to the first one, ocupies about half of its run time in a made up story so random that it almost feels like filler. I know that this isn't a documentary, as I already said I was expecting it to have fiction, but this was just too dumb. Am I really supposed to believe that the future Empress of Austria was left to go riding alone (!) in the middle of the night (!!) to a brothel (!!!) and that she befriended a woman that works there and later make her pass as a countess so she could be her lady-in-waiting (!!!!!!)? The woman literally just walks into Possenhofen, says "I'm the countess of... hmmm... Place I Just Made Up" and everyone else it's like "Ok, we'll blindly believe you, you can be the lady-in-waiting of the future Empress, no background check whatsoever". Really? This is the best they could do?

Ultimately, the reason why I prefer the first episode over the second it's because even as frustrating as the Hungarian rebels scene was, at least it doesn't take half of the episode (and it does serves the purpose of "spicing things up" between the main couple, even though I think that could have been achived in a different way). At the end, most of the episode it's still grounded on historical facts and the main storyline it's the very real weekend at Ischl. However the second episode, as I said, feels like filler: we spend a considerable time with the fictional brothel storyline, and in consequence we see little to nothing of the actual engagement and how it took a toll on the very young Sisi. Why not show us instead the intense "crash courses" she had to do, trying to compensate the very informal education she had so far? Why not show us Elisabeth's Hungarian history teacher, Count Johann Mailath, who was probably the first person to positively influenced her about Hungary? Why not show the constant lavish presents that she received, to the point that it was so overwhelming that she had no interet in them? Why not show us how enduring all of this was for her, how she grew more and more melancholic as days passed? Why don't show us her siblings helping her with her studies and being her emotional support, why don't show how they all went to Vienna with her? (I personally really like the Wittelsbach siblings and it genuinely annoys me how often they get sidelined or straight up ignored in films and series about Sisi when she often spent more time with them than with her husband).

Another of the downsides is that the series continues to perpetuate the narrative of "Ludovika scheming to make her daughter Empress and Duke Max being the only one that cares for the girl's feelings". The truth is that Duke Max was an absent figure throughout his children's childhood, he was uninterested in family life and much preferred traveling to far away places. Later in her life Ludovika would say that Max only started to treat her well after their 50th (!) wedding anniversary. I understand that the idea of Good Duke Max is very ingrained in the myth of Sisi, but I think it's time to stop romanticising the man, specially if it's at the cost of making Ludovika look unscrupulous. The evidence we have does show us that there was a parent that cared for their children's wellbeing, and that parent wasn't Max.

Lastly, let's talk about the biggest red flag this series gave me: what was up with the characterizations?

I already talked about Sisi's character and to be honest I don't have anything else to add. I can see some parts of the real Elisabeth in Dominique's Sisi, and I can also see the more "bold" attitude that the screenwritters gave her. Which I don't mind that much since it's just an interpretation, although I do wish they at least kept her shyness. Now, what were they going for when they wrote Franz Josef's character? He is literally the opposite of his historical counterpart: they made him a ruthless, violent, rude, condescending, total frat boy. I go a bit more in-deep about what they did to Franz Josef in this ask, but quoting myself: I said before in a post that I tend to find FJ quite boring as a character in movies/series about Elisabeth (Elisabeth das musical being the exception, but that’s because all characters there are great), so I found this portrayal quite interesting for a change (this man is def not gonna bore us) but also worrisome. I’m all out for a protrayal of Franz Josef in which he isn’t a cardboard Prince Charming, but going all the way to make him practically unecognizable from the historical figure ain’t it either. Let’s hope that they do a good job with him in the rest of the episodes because as of now his whole characterization it’s the writers looking at the real Franz Josef and saying “I can make him worse”.

But the most dissapointing characterization wasn't that of the Imperial couple, but of Helene, Elisabeth's sister. Although hurt for what happened in Ischl Néné always remained close to Sisi and supported her through her hardest time. She loved her sister and never resented her. And yet here Helene is spiteful and mean towards Elisabeth because she envies her. Ugh. Much for this being a feminist show (still I have hope that in the rest of the episodes this changes).

All in all, I have mixed feelings mainly because while I enjoyed this episodes (the first one way more than the second), the truth it's that this wasn't the Sisi that I really wanted. Some people keep asking why are they still making movies/series about Elisabeth where there's already a lot out, and I'll keep answering that it's because none of them have got her right yet. As long as this modern retelling it's a good series I'll like it, but I also will regret that it's not actually about Elisabeth, but just inspired in her. Specially if the sacrifice of accuracy it's the cost of making trashy dramatic storylines full of stereotypes while simultaneously trying to pass as "empowering" and "feminist". Helene doesn't need to become in a spiteful sister, Franz Josef doesn't need to be villainized and Elisabeth definetly doesn't need to be "girlbossificated" for this series to be feminist: showing the life of this woman as it was, showing her struggles, weaknesses and strengths, in summary, being truthful to her life and to the lives of the women that were part of it would have been enough to have a real feminist message. Still, even after saying all that, I'm not pesimistic about the series: I saw potential in it, and I think that potential can be met. And at the end of the day, even if it end ups not making for a good historial series, I think it will be a fun watch nontheless.

#btw when I said ´daydreaming´ I actually meant that she was [REDACTED]#ALSO the soundtrak was really good it had a lot of The Crown vibes and I love it for it #I didn't have any space for putting it in the review so I'll leave it here #sorry this took so long I've been struggling a lot to write anything longer that two parragraphs #I hope this review isn't a mess to understand!#Sisi (2021)#series review #all gifs are mine btw

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kuekyuuq · 3 years

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Gloria, Jet-lags and Imps [6x11]

Let’s jump right in:

Kinda love how Kara lamp-shaded addressed the fact she didn't tell the gang about her adventures in the PZ. She’s not wrong, tho.

...what do I want to say about Mxy using what's basically a well-known gay-anthem to tell his tale? I mean, it didn’t lead anywhere. The original song is about freeing oneself, liberation, stepping out of a (gone bad) relationship and moving on, stronger for it - empowerment. The only connection I could make, is that originally it was Nyxly’s aim to just do that (freeing herself and her kind from an oppressor), but in the way Mxy performed it, that part of the parallel was long over before he even reached the chorus. It’s also a popular Karaoke song, tho, so... he chose it because it’s catchy? I’ll try not to overthink it for now. At least, the Superfriend’s reactions were fun.

Nia exiting the elevator, "And what's this Old Stone?" I love it when ppl enter a room / situation and pick up on words that they couldn't have possibly heard. I think cinema sins ding such... Are we to assume, she dreamed Mxy's rendition of ‘I will survive’? Or is the elevator not sound-proof at all? (If it’s the latter, Nia later apparently telling Brainy “in private” between scenes / during the elevator ride about her Nyxly adventures, was a silly thing to do.)

So, "Jared" created the ring Old Stone to rule them all, it got shattered into the Paragons totems? Nyxly needs the totems and to get them she needs a crystal which also belonged to "Jared" - who happens to be Mxy's ancestor, which is why she needs Mxy / his blood, too.

I have one important and incredibly relevant question here, tho...

With the introduced imps and their names... Why’s dude named Jared of all things?!

Really, did I mishear that? If so, I’ll leave it as is and never edit, bc that would be hilarious in its own right 😋

...

Not sure what to make about Supergirl paraphrasing a Dirty Dancing quote. "Nobody puts Mxy into a power crystal on my watch." ...is he Baby now? (Seriously, though: Which of the writers thought that was a fitting quote to use in that particular context?)

...now, is the exposition section of the episode over yet?

Sensitive Brainy sensed something was up with Nia. He can relate... Nia doubting Kara would understand, too, is ridiculous. But I get it... insecurities and all. But, I mean, just 5 minutes later Kara announces she wants to save Nyxly despite her wrongdoings. And yet Nia still remains convinced, Kara wouldn’t forgive her own personal mini-me... After having witnessed Kara forgiving Lena for a whole season of the writers being stupid messing up to the nth degree. But I digress, Lena’s Lena.

...how old is Nia meant to be again? Just asking out of completely unrelated curiosity.

F*ck. They really went with NewFoundland...

Imma assume it was an executive choice after realizing they couldn’t find enough actors and actresses with a convincing Irish accent... maybe. Again, no offense to Newfoundland! Just... we got the insinuations of Ireland, not Newfoundland... And truthfully, when I think of magic, Ireland is an easy association. Whereas I only due to this whole debacle learned Newfoundland has Irish ancestry. So, okay, the show forced me to learn something new... I give ‘em that.

An easy journey, she said.

Lena's been off-screen for two whole episodes, Kara announcing at the beginning of ‘Dreamweaver’ [6x09] Lena being “back east” (at least insinuating Lena’s left the west-coast already), which span over at least one full day (feat. a scene at night), and ‘I still rise’ [6x10] at least another a whole day (the whole Nia’s mom back for a day deal). And, now, after at least 48 hours she barely just arrived.

Lemme check how long a regular plane would need to fly from California to NFL......... ... .. .. So... approx. 10 hours with at least one layover.

Yeah, using a private jet made it easier, but apparently also much, much slower...

Or, Lena randomly went some other places / did some sight-seeing in NFL before she decided to finally visit her mother’s hometown... [Either that or the timelines don’t match up and Lena’s scenes are flashbacks of sorts.]

Optimistic and relaxed Lena is a sight to behold. I rewound 3 times, just to enjoy it for as long as possible. We all knew it was going to be short-lived...

Let’s check off a few more items...

OMG, Kara hiding behind Alex at the mere sight of the PZ-projector broke my heart! 😢

"Elisabeth Walsh" is the new 'the one you shall not name'. ...poor Lena. 😭

Oh, so Mxy wants to be Patrick Swayze instead of Baby... gotcha.

...is this going anywhere?

KITTY!!! Okay, this must be the best opponent in the history of CWSG.

Despite the horrible CGI, SG using her heat-vision to project a laser-beam to distract the cat had me in (happy-) tears! 🤣

Gotta love the civilians of National City quickly returning to business as usual once the giant cat is gone. Even the police officers looked rather chill...

Nyxly did look fabulous this episode ^^

Andrea being Lena's rock is both great and annoying. I can't fault Andrea. It's just, that we still have to see an on-screen interaction between Lena and Kara and that bugs the heck out of me. I can’t help it. I’m sorry, Andrea.

Nia: "...is my fault." Kara: "Nu, is MY fault!" J'onn: "Stop fighting, kids!" Space-dad has spoken.

Mxy used an LuthorCorp copy machine... and of cos it's faulty. It's not an L-Corp product.

Kara forgiving Nia came as a surprise to her... Oooookay. I mean, the show has been writing Kara a bit inconsistently the past two seasons... so, yeah, maybe being unsure which of her traits apply this week was not such a far stretch...

Maybe it's the hair, but I wished, Florence was played by Alex Kingston.

So, not-Alex-Kingston shows Lena herself with a funny wig and tells her how her mother was still watching her...

If it wasn't for Katie's acting skills (I love her.) I would have already hit my head against the wall repeatedly. Something about these scenes had me constantly cringe and I made it through 5.5 seasons of this show already... Can’t quite put my finger on it, but it was highly distracting from the story that explained Lena’s mom was special even to another witch, where there was domestic abuse, and an accidental murder. Y’know, important stuff, deep-cutting stuff!

At least, poor widddle Lena got some closure there. Elisabeth was a good cookie. And filled with magic. And Lena’s gotta have that ‘spark’, too...

....so... Lena’s gonna stay in NFL for how much longer, to train becoming a witch? Please, just hand her a how-to manual and send her back home, to figure it out on her own, please... (Yes, that would be horrible decision-making, but I need her back with the team!)

On to the finish line:

So... Mxy IS Nyxly's brother? Wait, that doesn’t sound right... then Nyxly would have the same blood... Did I miss something? Can someone explain, please? Or is he her ex, and that’s where his rendition of “I will survive” makes sense?

Hnn... I can't help, but think Kara's speech for Nyxly was 85% based on her experiences with Lena in s05.

Awww... he said "stronger together"... Mxy... I hope, you'll be okay!

Lena believes in magic now. And I absolutely love how Lena wants to science magic XD

...but apparently magic isn’t science that hasn’t been explained yet, but parallel... powers? concepts? ether strings?

Nyxly has a loyal henchman now. Which was a bit heavy-handed. Took way too much of screen-time, so it better leads to something interesting.

And Kara is on a warpath now. Wooooot! Girl’s got enough.

...what else?

Did I miss a third Patrick Swayze hint / quote / mention? I learned, these things come in threes... Y’know, basic writing rules...

I guess, for once the episode title was meant to be taken literally, Mxy popping up between characters, to try and help. (I need in-show footage, of Mxy sneaking up on ppl, without his powers, on all fours / crouched, just to get the desired effect.) I mean, I’ve never really watched Malcom, but wasn’t he like what Mxy usually is? A bit of a trouble-maker, prankster, chaos-ensuing wherever he goes? ...well, in that case, the episode title didn’t hold up, as Mxy’s scenes were not fun or really goofy. Yes, there was some superficial humor, but just to serve Mxy dealing with not being able to use his powers, which in turn was only barely scratched at (although it turned out to be his final character development crisis, appreciating not having powers and - in turn - facing consequences for once). Again, a whole lot going on in the episode, so a lot of that may have ended up on the cutting-room floor.

...where’s Kelly? Secretly adopting a kid, maybe?

...Kara’s still a reporter, right? I mean, whenever it serves the immediate plot, yes? ...Not even a throw-away line, that she has to pop up at CatCo for appearances sake? Since Andrea is already upset with her AND looking into her friends’ identities? At least, Kara should take a peek to make sure Andrea hasn’t uncovered anything yet... No?

Well, that’s all I’ve got for now. Kue out.

#Supergirl #supercorp #Mxy in the middle #6x11 #mxy #nyxly #lena luthor #magic #lena's mom #fiction dissected #fandom #episode #Nia nal #dreamer #brainy #brainia

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marleneoftheopera · 3 years

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10 Underrated Christine’s!

Was asked by an anon to do this and I absolutely love the idea! Figured I would give it its own post. I also made a companion podcast episode about this topic, which you can listen to here.

Also put links to some audio/video of them, so those who haven’t heard of them can have a listen! There are definitely other clips of all of these Christine’s online, and on Tumblr some gifted audios. And of course, all of these Christine’s I have a recording of, so I am always open to trade for them.

There are so many I think are underrated, so this was a hard list. But here 10 I will put up for now (in no particular order).

1. Charlotte Page (London 1999-2000):

I wish she had stayed with the show longer. Stunning all around. Lush, full, operatic voice. Some great acting chops, with some little touches in there. She vocally was different from the Christine’s they had at that time, in the best way. While we only have 2 audios of her, we do also have a full video. Praise.

Here is her Wishing.

2. Sarah Pfisterer (US Tour 1991-95, Broadway 1999-2001):

Was Christine for quite some time, and yet there are no videos of her. Maybe 3 audios, and a handful of photos. i hear she was pregnant a few times, so her being out on leave might explain why. But has such a gorgeous, porcelain look. Beautiful voice, with a perfect balance of vibrato and operatic sound. I sometimes call her the Charlotte Page of Broadway because 1) they were in the show at the same time and 2) I think they had similar voices in terms of that bigger operatic quality. I always liked her vocally and look-wise, but I sat down a few months ago and really listened to her, and she has become such a favorite of mine.

Here is her Wishing, and here is the only video we have of her actually singing in the role.

3. Corinne Cowling (London 2019-2020):

Had a lot of shows as the understudy since the principal and alternate were out or doing too many shows. I would love to see her get a principal run, as it seems do a lot of other phans. Pull a real-life Christine. She reminds me a lot of Holly Anne Hull; this really strong voice full of emotion. She really proved that not only was she able to step into the role when needed, but that she could do it well. Her sister Morgan was Meg in the Restaged US Tour, and I dream of a world where they play Christine and Meg together.

Here is her Wishing, though I definitely recommend getting a full audio. It is well worth it.

4. Jan Hartley Morris (London 1988-89):

Another Christine I wish would have stayed with the show longer. But we do have a video of her, albeit being not of amazing quality. Looks so lovely in the part, and has an absolutely gorgeous voice. Full, lush, reminded me a tad of Amy Manford in how she seemed able to just twist each word out just the way she wanted to. Total control.

Here is her Think of Me and Angel of Music.

5. Adrienne McEwan (US tour 1993-94 + 1996, Broadway 1998-2003):

Was in the show for some 9 years, including being the alternate for the 10th anniversary on Broadway. Had such a beautiful and unique voice, and not a ton of vibrato like some of the US Christine’s at this time had. So pretty in wig and costume. There are a few videos of her, and a decent amount of audio. And yet, we don't talk about her nearly enough.

Here is her Wishing.

6. Maria Listra (Estonia 2015-16, 2020):

A non-replica Christine! She just looks so lovely in the part and sounds gorgeous. There is a video of her in ‘All I Ask of You’, and she is wonderful in it. I would love to see her do the original version someday. A hidden gem.

Here is her Think of Me, but I would definitely watch the ‘All I Ask of You’ of her on YouTube in the part. She’s so good and the Estonian Raoul and Christine are adorable.

7. Astrid Giske (Oslo 2018-19):

Another non-replica Christine! And a blonde one too! The Oslo production remains a favorite in my book, and Astrid is one of the main reasons. She had a real-life Christine moment, being the understudy Christine, but having to take over for Mira Ormala, who had to depart the production early on due to health reasons. Astrid got a bunch of pictures, and a feature on a Broadway site, and did every show afterward until the production. Besides the very last show; Astrid herself got sick and could not go on. Looked so lovely in the part, and has such a strong and angelic voice. I wish someone would put her in another production.

There are quite a few videos on YouTube of her which you should all watch (including the pro-shot clips from the production), but I put her “soar” here because I just adore it.

8. Julie Goodwin (World Tour 2007-09):

One of the youngest Christine’s; I think she was only 19 when she did the part. Absolutely stunning voice; reminds me a lot of Claire Lyon. That full operatic glory. From pictures and one video we have of her, she seems to have been pretty nice acting-wise. Looks really pretty as well.

Here is her Wishing.

9. Elisabeth Berg (Stockholm 1989-91):

For a Christine who was the principal in the first ever Swedish production, and is featured on said cast recording, she is really not talked about at all. I figure it’s mostly due to her being in Sweden and not in one of the flagships in the pre-Internet days. But still, a Christine on a cast recording I would think would have a bit more notoriety. Anyway, absolutely stunning voice. Like, beyond amazing. I would listen to her sing the alphabet. Such control, so much emotion, I adore her. When they invent the time machine I am going back to see her.

Here is the Swedish soundtrack.

10. Isabel Schwartzbach (Copenhagen 2018-19):

I love how clear and light her voice is. To me, she is the perfect ‘modern’ Christine. Meaning she has that lighter, almost pop sound to her voice, but without the squeaky-ness that we sometimes get. I really wish she would have gotten some promo shots or something. But she looks really pretty in the role, and from what I have heard she was quite good overall.

Here is her Wishing.

There you have it! I could add at least 50 more to this list, so don’t think that these are the only ones I think could use more love. But this is a nice way to experience other Christine’s with varying kinds of voices in different languages. Especially for newer phans, who have probably only heard Sarah, Sierra, Emmy, and/or their first live Christine.

Again, if you would like more clips of any of these Christine’s or some more actresses to have a listen to, feel free to message me!

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glassprism · 2 years

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Question about Takarazuka productions: is this reason they've only put on Phantom and not POTO related to a) licensing costs for POTO and b) Shiki Theatre having that established history of POTO production and Takarazuka doing POTO would be a competitive/marketing issue? Would Shiki putting on their final POTO show in 2023 make the odds of a Takarazuka POTO more likely?

So full disclosure, I really don't know a lot about Takarazuka beyond a quick Google search and what people on the Internet have told me. However, while competition and licensing costs might be part of the answer, I don't think it's the whole answer. On the competition end, while there is the possibility they don't want to complete with Shiki, that hasn't stopped them with shows like Elisabeth, where they've had the Toho and Takarazuka productions both around for years, even sharing actors. And it didn't stop another company from putting on their own production of Yeston and Kopit's Phantom (the version directed by Yu Shirota). Now these might be different cases, this might be because Takarazuka has different relationships with these other companies, but still, they are counterpoints to the argument that fear of competition is the reason.

I also don't think licensing costs would be a problem, given Takarazuka's history (its over 100 years old), its prestige (it has a seriously competitive membership) and its tendency to put on very lavish shows, which they almost always professionally film and release, that often outdo the original production its adapting from. I suppose that doesn't mean that they can afford it, but again, it doesn't seem like money is the key reason here, either.

Without knowing more about Takarazuka, I can't say for certain, but at least part of me thinks that licensing is a reason, but not because of cost; it's because Takarazuka is an all-female troupe that will make changes (sometimes very heavy changes) to their shows, often to more heavily feature the otokoyaku (women who play male roles) or to make the tone more appropriate for the kinds of shows Takarazuka is known for ("pure, proper, beautiful"), and the higher-ups in charge of ALW's Phantom are very averse to that. Changes to the blocking and design, sure, but the music, lyrics, and story are basically set.

So you know, I can see how shows like Yeston and Kopit's Phantom, which is much lesser known and gives the Phantom a lot of stage time, or Elisabeth, which changes its own productions every few years, can do well with Takarazuka, but not ALW's Phantom. Imagine Takarazuka rewriting ALW's Phantom (who has maybe 40 minutes of stage time in a 2 hour show) so he gets a bunch more solos and probably also steals 50% of Christine's lines. Imagine ALW's Phantom ending with an out-of-context chorus line of all the major numbers (actually that would be pretty entertaining, even if it wildly breaks the mood of the final scene). Imagine the Phantom and Christine, or Raoul and Christine, not actually kissing! (In the Takarazuka Revue, the actresses will sort of turn their faces away during kisses because, well, they're not touching each other's lips.) Though on the other hand, imagine how pimped out they'd make the costumes, not to mention all the proshots...

Well, anyway, like I said, I know little about Takarazuka, so this is just my wild guess. I'm sure others know far more and will add their commentary here.

#GP gets asks #anonymous

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