#lyrics inspired by Broadway Beauty and the Beast

[talesfromawannabejournalist]

Me

For you @mayjor-lochardt as a little treat just the fact that you came up with this amazing AU, and also the way Raphael is described reminds me so much of Gaston. Hope you like it enjoy!

Raphael: As you probably know, the reason for your creation was to help populate the Earth.

Adam: Uh, it has been mentioned to me once or twice before.

Raphael: Good, because I have very good news for you indeed. One that will I'm sure have you screaming to the Heaven's in thanks. For they were the ones who helped arrange it.

Adam: Arrange what exactly?

Raphael grabs Adam and pulls him into his arms harshly. Adam looks up at the archangel's face to see a cocky smirk on his lips. and eyes that held an emotion Adam just couldn't describe. However, he knew it wasn't a positive one.

Raphael: Our marriage my dear you are to be the mother of humanity.

Adam's face falls

Adam: Oh no

Raphael: I think you mean, oh yes! You've been dreaming, just one dream, nearly all your life, hoping scheming just one dream, will you be a wife! Will you be some Alpha's property?

Raphael twirls Adam unexpectedly in a form of dance as he dips him. Causing Adam to become dizzy. Raphael then forces Adam to move along in a form of a slow dance.

Raphael: Good news, that Alpha is me! This equation Omega plus Alpha doesn't help just you! On occasion, if possible, Omega's have their uses too! Mainly to extend the family tree! Baby you're going to expand with me!

Adam felt himself go green.

Raphael: You'll be raising Alphas with pride.

Adam: Inconceivable

Raphael: each will be eight feet five.

Adam: Unbelievable

Raphael: every one of them is stuffed with my best genes!

Adam: I'm not hearing this!

Raphael: You'll always be by my side!

Adam: Just incredible

Raphael: I'll make sure that your belly is always full!

Raphael stops their awkward dance and Adam breathes a sigh of relief until Raph's hands begin to wander. Adam felt like he was ready to puke up his lunch when Raphael started to rub his flat stomach. Adam just stays quiet as Raphael continues.

Raphael: just picture it, Adam, a beautiful mansion up in Heaven, my latest awards for all my achievements placed in a nice sunroom. I sit by the fireplace as my wife who is pregnant with our forty-seventh litter massages my aching feet, while our little ones are playing on the floor. And we will have many, many, many little one's all over the place.

Adam felt vomit rise to his throat, but he managed to swallow it back down.

Adam: heh imagine that.

Raphael: I can see that we make the greatest pair as history will define! Not unlike my eyes!

Raphael turned Adam to face him and gives the omega a serious hard look.

Raphael: You are face-to-face with your destiny! All roads lead to this! The best thing for you is me! Escape me? there's no way! For you are Mr. Raphael!

Raphael lets go of Adam but before the poor human-turned-angel can run away Raphael begins to advance toward him and uses his wings to keep him caged. Adam keeps backing away until his bare back hits the bark of a tree. Raphael slams both his arms on either side of Adam making him trapped. As Adam's fear-filled eyes stare into Raphael's he finally knows what to call the emotion that is clear as day, lust, and pride. Because Adam knows that all he is to Raph is a prize and the archangel is about to collect his prize. He needed a plan to escape and quick.

Raphael: So, what do you say Mr. Raphael? Ready to begin your duties?

He says with a smirk licking his lips before puckering them up and inching them toward Adam with closed eye lids.

Adam: I'm very sorry Raphael, but I just don't deserve you.

Raphael: Who does? Now pucker up and spread those legs wide for AHHHH!!!

Raph yelled when he was pushed away by a strong gust of wind. He lost his balance and fell off the hill he and Adam were on and landed on a large mud puddle. Adam stood with a proud smirk of his own golden wings outstretched as turned and flew away from the Alpha calling back to him one more time

Adam: But hey thanks for asking Raph!

#Meet the Morningstar's au #raphael #Adam #Adam not having a fun time #lyrics inspired by Broadway Beauty and the Beast #Me

[englishsuffix]

Cuphead Show Brainrot Sads Contribution

Soooo... here’s a list of songs (and videos) I’ve been listening to to help get me into Cuphead angst mode for writing (primarily where Mugsy loses his soul. Why do I love to torment this bean and his brother bean?).

♠ Servant of Evil https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Av04XfLtAcU Servant of Evil (Lizz Robinett cover) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8FAlFHgaBVE

♦ Regret Message https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8lzmoukr8cI Regret Message (Lizz Robinett cover/the lyrics really fit!) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NFiyx61NVOM

♠ The Decision https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vGfkf9drMus Lost in Hopelessness https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yeABn773_Yw Break of Dawn and Saying Goodbye https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8N6V40-6xUs

♦ Closer to You (Jefferz cover) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IF7Fpe8G8ac

♠ Home (from the Beauty and the Beast Broadway musical/RaymondJLee cover) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HSHp6VU2k5k

♦ Waiting on a Miracle (Thai McGrath anime opening conversion for Reaper!Cup AU inspiration) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z9ztHI0QPLU

#Cuphead #the cuphead show #mugman #angst #music #playlist #reaper!cup #if anyone is aware of it on ao3 #yes i wrote that au #no longer shy about it so no longer anon about it #storyjoker

[your-dietician]

Angela Lansbury, 'Murder, She Wrote' and 'Beauty and the Beast' star, dies at 96

New Post has been published on https://medianwire.com/angela-lansbury-murder-she-wrote-and-beauty-and-the-beast-star-dies-at-96/

Angela Lansbury, 'Murder, She Wrote' and 'Beauty and the Beast' star, dies at 96

Angela Lansbury, a versatile actor who wowed generations of fans as a murderous baker, a singing teapot, a Soviet spy and a small-town sleuth among a host of memorable roles, died Tuesday, her family announced.

She was 96.

“The children of Dame Angela Lansbury are sad to announce that their mother died peacefully in her sleep at home in Los Angeles at 1:30 AM today, Tuesday, October 11, 2022, just five days shy of her 97th birthday,” her family said in a statement. 

The London-born actor took her life’s final bow as one of the most decorated players in stage history.

Lansbury won five Tony Awards, most recently in 2009 for best featured actress in a play for her work in Noel Coward’s “Blithe Spirit.”

Her best known work on the Great White Way was probably as ghoulish pie maker Nellie Lovett, in “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.” She cooked up a Tony for best musical actress in 1979 for that role.

Her other three Tony wins were for best actress in a musical for “Mame” in 1966, “Dear World” in 1969 and “Gypsy” in 1975.

Audra McDonald and Julie Harris are the only actors to win six Tonys; Harris’ sixth Tony was for lifetime achievement.

“We are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Angela Lansbury,” according to statement by Actors’ Equity, the union representing live stage performers.

Lansbury earner her Actors’ Equity card in 1957 with her work in  “Hotel Paradiso.” 

“A star of stage, TV and movies, Lansbury was an Equity member for an astounding 65 years. She leaves behind a library of work to enjoy for many generations. We send our condolences to her friends and family.”

Actor Eric McCormack, best known for his work on the long-running NBC sitcom “Will & Grace,” fondly recalled his time with Lansbury on Gore Vidal’s “The Best Man” in 2012.

“So privileged I got to spend time with this incredible woman,” he said in statement. “No one like her.”

Lansbury took her singing skill from Broadway to the big screen, via an animator’s drawing board in the 1991 musical “Beauty and the Beast.”

She voiced the sentimental Mrs. Pott, which scored as one of the popular movie’s most beloved moments.

She took to the stage at Lincoln Center in New York in 2016 to celebrate the film’s 25th anniversary, and brought the house down with a rendition of the title’s lead tune.

Referencing the lyrics to the “Beauty and the Beast” theme, NASA paid tribute to Lansbury by posting a photo of a “cosmic rose.”

The actor had already enjoyed a long and successful career when she took on the small-screen role that many Americans will remember most — as mystery writer and amateur crime fighter Jessica Fletcher on the CBS Sunday night hit “Murder, She Wrote.”

“Murder” ran for 12 seasons, from 1984 to 1996, with Lansbury playing a widowed mystery writer whose keen observations always outwitted criminals and even the local police before the real killer would be unmasked within the hour.

The show was a staple of Sunday night TV at 8 p.m., and was one of CBS’ biggest hits in the 1980s.

It followed “60 Minutes” and, in the fall, the National Football Conference game. Lead CBS play-by-play man Pat Summerall would famously tell viewers to stay tuned for “Murder … She Wrote” with a dramatically elongated pause.

“We found our audience and they were loyal to the end,” Lansbury said in a 1998 interview with the television academy.

COZI TV, NBC’s national multicast network that airs classic shows, announced it’ll honor Lansbury with a “Murder, She Wrote” marathon from Wednesday through Saturday, 6 a.m. ET through 8 p.m. ET each day.

SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher said generations of thespians were lucky to have enjoyed watching Lansbury’s long and storied career.

“She was an inspiration both on and off stage, and I was personally a huge fan. Thank God she lived a good, long life as we were all blessed to bask in her light,” Drescher said in a statement. “I’m grateful that her body of work lives on to inspire generations to come.”

Shows like “Murder, She Wrote” ushered in a new era of television with more female players taking lead roles on America’s small screen. The TV academy nominated Lansbury for 12 Emmys for “Murder,” although she never took home the trophy.

Lansbury was inducted into the TV Hall of Fame in 1996.

“‘Murder, She Wrote’ has given me more worldwide attention than any other role I played in the movies or on the stage,” she said in 2013 while receiving an honorary Academy Award. “It’s a wonderful thing to be known in Spain, Portugal, in Paris, in France and Germany and everywhere.”

Lansbury became such an important TV figure that some fans might have forgotten what an important movie career she had in the era of black-and-white film, and the three best supporting actress Oscar nominations she received for three legendary works.

She played the maid in the 1944 classic “Gaslight,” about a woman, played by star Ingrid Bergman, who was being manipulated to question objective truth.

The term “gas lighting,” meaning to psychologically manipulate with lies and false narratives, became a popular term in the 21st century American vocabulary, particularly after Donald Trump was elected president.

That role scored Lansbury her first Oscar nomination before she picked up another for her brief but vital role in 1945’s “The Picture of Dorian Gray.”

Lansbury recalled that when working with director John Frankenheimer on the 1962 movie “All Fall Down,” the movie maestro slammed a book on the table in front of her and ordered her to read it.

The book was Richard Condon’s “The Manchurian Candidate.”

“I took it home and I read it and I called him up and said, ‘Wow,’” Lansbury told the TV academy in 1998.

She was cast as Mrs. Eleanor Iselin, a scheming, domineering mother — a role that brought Lansbury her third Oscar nomination for best supporting actress.

“We certainly didn’t envision the longevity” of the Cold War-era thriller, Lansbury said in 1998. “We felt because of the extraordinary subject matter and the way in which the plot was devised, it was so extraordinary that it was going to either sink or swim. And it swam and it’s still swimming.”

Lansbury was among the last surviving star actors from Hollywood’s Golden Age.

The licensing arm of the late Frank Sinatra posted a picture of Old Blue Eyes and Lansbury from their time working on “The Manchurian Candidate.”

The future acting great was born Angela Brigid Lansbury on Oct. 16, 1925, in London, the daughter of actor Moyna Macgill and timber executive Edgar Lansbury.

Both her father and grandfather (George Lansbury) were active in liberal British politics. Edgar Lansbury was mayor of the London borough of Poplar, while George Lansbury served as Labour Party leader in 1932-34.

“My grandfather was a very large figure in my life as a child,” Lansbury told the TV academy. “He was an extraordinary individual who garnered the admiration and love of the British labor movement, which he led, and because he was the most charismatic figure, a very kind simple plain man. He never drank, he never smoked.”

Though born into a culturally elite family, Lansbury’s childhood was chaotic.

Lansbury was 9 when her father died in 1935. At the outbreak of World War II a few years later, Lansbury’s mother feared London would soon be bombed by Nazi Germany.

“My mother sold everything that she could and we got on a boat,” Lansbury said.

The RMS Duchess of Atholl carried Lansbury, her mother and two younger brothers to Canada in the summer of 1940, and they immediately boarded a train for New York.

Lansbury landed at the Lucy Fagan School in Rockefeller Center, where she had a bird’s-eye view of the skating rink and what seemed like a perfect snapshot of utopian American life.

“I’ll never forget that first Christmas,” Lansbury recalled fondly. “America was still not at war, the tree was up and everything was beautiful.”

She scored her first professional gig at the Samovar Club in Montreal. The 16-year-old lied about being 19 and performed characters from Coward’s “I Went to a Marvelous Party” for a whopping $60 a week — what Lansbury thought was a small fortune then.

After that three-week gig ended, Lansbury’s mother was in western Canada with the touring company of “Tonight at 8:30.”

Macgill had the bright idea of sending for her daughter and having them both go to Los Angeles, capital of the world’s young motion picture industry. 

The pair quickly became enveloped in the ex-pat British acting community in Hollywood, and those connections led Lansbury to her first screen tests for “Gaslight” and “Dorian Gray.”

She signed a seven-year deal with MGM, and at 17 she was making $500 a week. Under the old studio system, MGM controlled her work and cast the young actor in roles that Lansbury said she had no business playing.

But that turned out to be a boon and launched her extraordinarily versatile career

“It was like an intense training period, playing character roles, playing older than myself, learning a lot of skills I otherwise would never have learned,” Lansbury said.

And despite Lansbury’s long and decorated career in the states, she never lost touch with her roots, and the United Kingdom never forgot about her.

Queen Elizabeth II bestowed the DBE (Dame Commander of the British Empire) honor on Lansbury in 2014 during a ceremony at Windsor Castle.

“It is a very proud day for me to be recognized by the country of my birth, and to meet the queen under these circumstances is a rare and lovely occasion,” Lansbury said that day.

She is survived by her three children, Anthony, Deirdre and David, her three grandchildren, Peter, Katherine and Ian, plus five great grandchildren and her brother, producer Edgar Lansbury.

She was preceded in death by her husband of 53 years, Peter Shaw. A private family ceremony will be held at a date to be determined, her family said.

Read the full article here

[victorluvsalice]

AU Thursday: Once Upon A Time. . .Beauty and the Skeleton

So -- my pal Thedarkcountess1993, also known as The1920squeen on AO3, is currently doing a "Beauty and the Beast" AU for her OTP (female!Leo and Klaus from Blood Blockade Battlefront for the curious) -- "Tale As Old As Time." Reading that reminded me about Nebbychan's start on a Valice gender-flipped "Beauty and the Beast" AU (to go with her "Cinder-Victor" AU -- with Victor as Beauty and Alice as the Beast (using a combined version of her Hysteria and Ragebox forms)). And, is so often the case with me, that led to me thinking of my own BatB AU for the combined Corpse Bride/American McGee's Alice universe! Except mine isn't Valice, interestingly enough.

It's LizJangles.

Yeah, I was surprised too -- though maybe not that much. LizJangles has become easily my favorite side ship for Valice (and Vemilicia). And you gotta admit, being a skeleton would probably elicit a lot of the same reactions from someone as being a big old beast. :p Although given that Bonejangles in this AU isn't like the Beast in the movies -- well, why don't I just lay out the AU for you?

-->First things first, the main inspiration for this AU is me talking with DC1993 about how, for all her good intentions and desire to teach the Beast a lesson in humility (at least in the Disney variations), the fairy really did something awful to everyone around the Beast (did the servants really deserve to become OBJECTS??) -- and deciding that it would be interesting to do a variation on the story where the fairy is explicitly the bad guy. So! In this version of reality, the castle and its inhabitants are the victims of a cruel Fae, the Dollmaker, who in response to a perceived slight at a party, has cursed everyone to become mobile rotting corpses. Obliged to include an "escape clause" because of how the magic works, he says that if anyone from outside the castle can come to love any of them -- romantically love, that is; they've got to prove it with a true love's kiss -- any of them despite their appearances, he'll lift the curse. Of course, being an evil git of a Fae, he's not going to make it easy for them -- he magically shrouds the castle from the outside world so it can't be mapped, and those who stumble upon it generally end up either fleeing into the night in terror or being tormented and murdered by the Dollmaker. Bonejangles was one of the entertainers at this party, and spends most of his time trying to keep everyone else's spirits up with his songs, even as he starts to wonder if they'll ever see the curse broken.

-->The Liddells in this world live in a village nearby, with Arthur being the local schoolmaster. His eldest daughter, Lizzie, is recently of marriageable age, and as a result is being tormented by the attentions of one Dr. Bumby, the town physician, who is known by most of the town as a great altruist who supports orphans -- and by Lizzie as a self-important git who doesn't understand taking "no" for an answer. She's desperate to get away from him, and maybe even leave the village itself for a life of adventure somewhere else, but she loves her family (particularly her little sister, Alice) too much to just leave them in the lurch.

-->All that changes when Arthur, coming back from a meeting of schoolteachers in the city, gets lost during a storm and stumbles upon the castle. He's greeted kindly by the residents of the castle, and learns their story -- he feels genuinely bad for them, but isn't sure what he personally can do to help, given he's already married. The Dollmaker appears then and says that if that's the case, maybe he'd like to join them in their torment. Arthur and the others plead for clemency, and the Dollmaker, claiming to be in a "playful" mood, says that he'll consider a trade -- one of Arthur's family must stay at the castle in his steed. The Liddells are summoned -- and to Arthur's shock, Lizzie promptly volunteers to stay, seeing it as the perfect opportunity to get away from Bumby. He, Lorina, and Alice reluctantly leave her behind, promising they'll find a way to free her.

-->To Lizzie's surprise, the Dollmaker doesn't afflict her with the same curse as the others, like he threatened to do to Arthur. Instead, he treats her as an honored guest, giving her anything she asks for -- except her freedom, of course. Seems like he has some interest in Lizzie as well, to her frustration. Lizzie does her best to use her status to ease things for the others, and gets to know them. She and Bonejangles end up forming a connection, and it's not long before it's obvious they're starting to fall for each other.

-->Cue a temper tantrum from the Dollmaker, furious she's rejected him "yet again" -- and revealing that "Dr. Bumby" is the guise he uses when he wants to walk among mortals undetected! He locks Lizzie in a cell in a basement and uses his Bumby persona to mount an attack on the castle, intending to destroy the residents and "rescue" her to force her to marry him out of "gratitude." However, the Liddells, knowing the truth about the residents, manage to get to the castle first and help them hold off the invaders, while Lizzie breaks free of her cage. Bumby gets inside and duels Bonejangles -- Lizzie intervenes and ends up badly wounded, though she manages to send Bumby over the side of the highest tower. A horrified Bonejangles shares with her what they think is her dying kiss. . .

-->Oh hey, true love's kiss! Curse broken, and the magical reversal ends up hitting Lizzie too, restoring her to life and health. The double whammy of the curse being broken and his mortal shell being killed forces the Dollmaker to retreat back to his Fae lands, leaving the castle and the village in peace. The villagers, learning what's actually been going on, make peace with the castle residents, and Lizzie and Bonejangles marry.

So yeah -- I think that works as an interesting twist on the most common version of the tale! And it's nice to have another AU idea that puts Lizzie and BJ in the spotlight. Like I said, new favorite side couple. :p

#beauty and the skeleton #au ideas #okay not gonna lie #the actual main inspiration for having Lizzie as Beauty #was the idea of Bumby singing his own variation on Gaston's 'Me' song from the Broadway BatB adaptation XD #it's just -- the lyrics as they are don't QUITE fit #but the general feel of the song is SO Bumby insisting to Lizzie they're going to be married one day XD #so that led to Bonejangles as the Beast necessarily #but I wasn't sure how he'd be cursed #and then I came up with the 'fairy is explicitly the bad guy' idea #and then figured 'oh hey why not have it be the Dollmaker?' #and things proceeded from there #queued

[twstheadcanons]

Self-Indulgent TWST Geography

A long post of generalised geography headcanons for the world of TWST complete with continents for my own personal needs.  The post divides locations by Continent.

Anyway why is there a homeland whose name is just the definition of a desert.

Continents (and ocean)

Errant - a western continent in Twisted Wonderland. Mzunguko - the second largest continent in Twisted Wonderland.   Yalmae - the largest continent in Twisted Wonderland.   Abíní - a continent West of Errant. Tridente Ocean - the largest ocean in Twisted Wonderland.

Errant

Rose Kingdom – a country in the western region of Errant. It isn’t a particularly large country, and traveling from it to its neighbouring countries is possible via buses or car. Crownsshire – a county in Rose Kingdom Crowns – the capital  of Crownsshire. It is the town Riddle, Trey, and Che’nya live in.  

Land of Pyroxene – a large country in Errant.  Known for its cold, snowy winters and history with legends pertaining to five of the Great Seven. Waldburg – province Vil’s family is from.  Largely influenced by another country within Errant. Argent – a province in Land of Pyroxene.   Verre – a city in Argent.  Trein and Cater are from here.  Félicité Cosmetics originates here. Miroir – a province in Land of Pyroxene.  Has a large outlet mall popular with fashion-lovers and shopaholics.  The Ténèbres brand originates here. Enchantée – a town in Miroir. Jack and Vargas live here, whilst Vil and his father move here. Scharlachrot - a province in Land of Pyroxene. Epel’s Village of Harvest resides here, and is famous for its widespread organic produce.

Isle of Lamentation – island country, its popularised global name is a translation from the isle’s original Nísos Thrínos.  It has robust technological advancements and is the homeland of the popular idol group On the Edge, known for having concerts with elaborate imagery and visual effects from some of the best technicians available.  Due to legends of the God of the Underworld,  dogs are extremely popular on the Isle of Lamentation. Kapnós – capital of the Isle of Lamentations where the Shroud family resides.  

Valley of Thorns – an isolated country small in population, largely consisting of a large mountain range.  The closer one is to where its Queen resides, the colder it gets.  It is said the Valley of Thorns can go weeks with nothing but moonlight. Geimhreadh - technically the name of the forest near the Valley of Thorns’ mountain range, where the Queen makes her home at its peak.  Its name spread to the residential areas nearby.

Mzunguko

Afterglow Savannah – country in Mzunguko,  ‘Afterglow’ acts as a loose translation of its name, Baadaye.  It lies in eastern Mzunguko.  Famous for its royal guards and leading role in nature conservation. Kiburi – a county in the east of the Afterglow Savannah. Mwamba – capital of Kiburi, where the Kingscholar royal family lives. Maisha – a county in Afterglow Savannah, with its capital sharing the same name.   Jioni – a town in Maisha.  Ruggie and his family live here.

Manyoya – county in Afterglow Savannah.  Well-known for a famously expansive library and a high population of avian beastfolk. Uzuri  – a city in Manyoya, where Rook is from.

Yalmae

Land of Hot Sands – one of many countries in the continent of Yalmae,.  Within the country, it’s referred to as Aldif’.  Rich with its magical history and origins of astrology, Aldif’ nurtures Magicians skilled in divination.  It has a vivid musical scene as well. Misbah - governate of Aldif’. Yatamanaa – capital of Misbah, a largely lucrative city within Aldif’ and city where Kalim and Jamil live.

Abíní

Port of Jubilee - a diverse nation where Sam’s family lives, owning an extensive emporium.  A vast amount of cultures reside in Port of Jubilee, many sharing common ancestors and languages with one another. Nanm - province in Port of Jubilee. Sekrè - port town in Nanm that Sam is from.  His family owns an impressive emporium popular with locals.

Tridente Ocean

Coral Sea - a sea within the Tridente Ocean.  Many of coastlines range across countries within Errant, Mzunguko, and Yalmae.  Beneath its waters lies a kingdom sharing the same name as the sea.  

Name Trivia

Continents (and ocean)

Errant - the continent of Errant has the homelands based off movies such as Alice in Wonderland, Snow White, Hercules, Sleeping Beauty, Beauty and the Beast, and Cinderella.  The name stems from certain scenes in the movie marking a particular moment the protagonists feel out of place or stray off the expected course.

Alice in Wonderland: Alice’s misadventures begin when she makes the decision to follow a strange rabbit, straying off the course of simply reading and studying as her sister wished, where the curious and at worst annoying strange creatures and nature of Wonderland take a turn when she meets the Caterpillar, who questions Alice’s place and identity, and the stress of her situation and being unable to return home overwhelms her emotionally.

Snow White - the horrific moment Snow White, in a state of panic, rushes through a dark forest, where her fears envision hidden horrors within the trees and wildlife.

Hercules - after refusing to listen to Phil’s warnings about Megara being in cahoots with Hades, Hercules faces the devastating fact that Megara (reluctantly) deceived him, and loses his superhuman strength and faith in himself.

Sleeping Beauty - shortly after meeting a man she falls for, Aurora becomes devastated and resigned to her fate being betrothed to a complete stranger out of responsibility for her future and country.

Beauty and the Beast - Maurice’s ventures through a mysterious forest consequently leads him to the Beast’s castle in a desperate attempt to escape cold, only to be imprisoned by the Beast for intruding, ultimately putting the story into motion.  After Belle makes a deal to swap places with her father and free him, Belle starts off terrified and in over her head despite saving her father’s life.

Cinderella - after the mice’s hard work creating a fitting ballgown for Cinderella to enjoy the ball, her stepsisters ruin the dress and Cinderella’s chances of leaving her oppressive family’s home.  Her distress and tears lead her to meeting the Fairy Godmother.

Mzunguko - “circle” in Swahili, the language prominent in Lion King’s names, lyrics, and Rafiki’s dialogue, as well as the official language of Kenya, where much of the movie’s settings take inspiration and blatantly feature.  Taken from the iconic “Circle of Life” song.

Tridente Ocean - “trident” in Italian.  Yes, I hear you.  The author is from Denmark.  The statue is in Denmark.  The movie references the statue in Denmark.  However the surname Ashengrotto and Azul’s mother running a ristorante screams Italian and there’s the overall edgy mafia vibe the Octatrio has going on.  I win this one.

Yalmae -  “shine” in Arabic (يلمع).  I wanted a name that illustrated the vibrant, lively diversity of the continent’s many countries, cultures, flora, and fauna.  Something akin to a name that inspires a welcoming feeling.

Abíní - “morning” in Navajo.  I wanted a name that inspires energy and enthusiasm, like a sunrise in summer.  

Homelands

Rose Kingdom

Crownsshire - just the most painfully English name I could think of.  “Crown” refers to, naturally, the crown of the Queen of Hearts.  Also decided to make the Rose Kingdom its own, smaller, more limited country, instead of allowing its apparent monarchy to leech off 20+ different countries Crowns - do you have any idea how genuinely shocking it is we don’t actually have a town here named this.

Afterglow Savannah

Baadaye - “afterglow” in Swahili.  The official and native name of the Afterglow Savannah.  Interestingly, my findings found translations of it meaning “future” as well, which I consider fitting. Kiburi - “pride” in Swahili, can refer to a ‘pride of lions’ or confidence (often overconfidence). Mwamba - “rock” in Swahili, alluding to the Pride Rock that Mufasa’s pride resides in. Maisha - “life” in Swahili. Jioni - “evening” in Swahili.  This refers to where anywhere the sun doesn’t reach, Simba shouldn’t wander, because it’s too dangerous. Originally, I wanted to go with “Kivuri”, which means “shadow”.  However when I went to double check that ‘shadowland’ was a thing in Lion King, referring to where the Elephant Graveyard is, it’s actually a song from the Broadway musica called “Shadowland”, sung by Nala (Heather Headley). It both mourns the desolate state of the Pridelands under Scar’s tyranny, and narrates Nala’s resolve to leave and find a way to save her people and their land.  The song is absolutely gorgeous, solemn, and powerful, and contributes more than any live-action CGI Disney movie could ever come up with.  Its instrumental composition features the melody lei-motif prominent in the animated film (yes, That song.  the heartbreaking one).  It’s one of my favourites in Lion King alongside “He Lives in You” and “Not One of Us” because I like the ones where the chorus goes off. Please just listen to the Lion King Broadway soundtrack it makes me cry with how gorgeous and heartfelt it is.   Anyway in their money-grubbing ways I hope Disney puts the Broadway on Disney+ so some brave soul takes one for the team to pirate it Manyoya - intended to mean “feather”, but to my understanding it also encompasses “fur”. Uzuri - “beauty” in Swahili.  Nothing too deep here, just something pertaining to Rook.

Land of Hot Sand

Aldif’ - “warmth” in Arabic (الدفء).  Meant to allude to a comforting warmth, kind of hinting that the popularisation of “Land of Hot Sand” more or less leaves the official name lost in translation. Misbah - “lamp/light” in Arabic (مصباح), naturally referencing the magical lamp sought after throughout the movie. Yatamanaa - “wish” in Arabic (يتمنى).  Meant to be bit a bit of a cheeky play on words.  The “wish” inside the “lamp”.

Land of Pyroxene

Waldburg - Wald is "forest” in German.   References the forest that Snow White runs away into after being warned of the Evil Queen’s intentions. Argent - “silver” in French.  References Cinderella’s silver dress. Verre - “glass” in French.  References Cinderella’s glass slipper. Miroir - “mirror” in French.  References both the Mirror of Snow White and the enchanted mirror Beast gives Belle. Enchantée - “enchanted” in French.  Ties into the theme of enchantments, curses, and charms prominent in French fairy tales, and specifically makes me think of the Enchanted Rose from Beauty and the Beast.   Scharlachrot - “scarlet” in German.  References the red colour that hides the infamous green of the poison apple’s true nature.

Isle of Lamentation

Nísos Thrínos - Greek for the isle’s name. Kapnós - “smoke” in Greek.  References Hades’ iconic appearance surrounded by black smoke.

Valley of Thorns

Geimhreadh - “winter” in Irish.  References the winter court of Unseelie fae in Celtic folklore.

Port of Jubilee

Nanm - "soul” in Haiitan Creole.  References the importance of determination and drive prominent in Princess and the Frog.

Sekrè - “secret” in Haitian Creole.  References Dr Facilier’s ulterior motives.

#twisted wonderland #worldbuilding headcanons

[d-criss-news]

Nine Songs: Darren Criss

When Disney, Phantom Planet and Mr Hudson collide: Glee star, Emmy and Golden Globe winner and musician Darren Criss talks Andrew Wright through the pivotal songs in his life and the unexpected ways they found him.

“When we are younger, our gateway drugs to a lot of popular things don’t come from the sexiest of places. It’s up to you how proactive you want to be with your curiosity from there, and how far down the rabbit hole you want to go, if you go down at all.”

Choosing the songs that define you is a tricky business to say the least, especially when the power of song has provided an ongoing soundtrack to your life. “When you’re as avid a music consumer as musical artists are, trying to pin down Nine Songs is difficult,” Darren Criss laughs. So much so, his final choices only really crystallise as our conversation draws to its close. “It’s hard for me not to see the value and joy in literally everything,” he explains. “The curse of the creative person is that your ideas and your interests always move way faster than your body can execute.”

Criss is a creative par excellence. As well as his Emmy and Golden Globe winning performance in The Assassination of Gianni Versace, where he played serial killer Andrew Cunanan, to his upcoming role in Muppets Haunted Mansion Halloween special as The Caretaker, he’s also a prolific musician. Criss enjoyed a decadent musical consumption since childhood, so “this was a bit of an archaeological dig,” he admits. As such, everything from jazz standards, to 808s, punk rock, ‘90s teen pop, and musical numbers are excavated in the course of our extemporaneous journey through the music he loves.

Equally on his mind is how to go about approaching the task of creating his Nine Songs, full stop. “The interesting social experiment is: Are my answers going to be songs that actually shaped my life and were formative to me as an artist? Are they songs that were formative to me as a human being? Or am I picking songs that I think represent who I am to people that do not know me? All three of those things aren’t necessarily the same thing.”

He reaches a conclusion of sorts. “For the purposes of making some kind of decision, I’m gonna lean less into trying to look cool to your very cool readership, and more into the literal, ‘What made me think about music in a different way? And hit me in a very emotional way?’ I think that’s probably the healthiest route.”

Embracing the accessibility that characterises Criss’ picks - or at times the initial touchpoints that led him to them - are something he vacillates over during our chat. “I’ve seen a lot of other people’s Nine Songs and they’re super cool. It’s like Leonard Cohen B-sides and old opera records and stuff. I’m gonna be pretty honest with the pop culture zeitgeist of how I grew up but explain why there is so much value in those moments.” His contemplation continues into the next day, Criss’s publicist passes on his regrets at being tentative to admit how he encountered one of his song choices via the Shrek soundtrack.

A yearning to reinterpret accessibility and the value attached to it drives Criss, however. He tells me that a festival performance that applied the anarchic verve of punk rock to a more refined Great American Songbook number remoulded his perception of music entirely. His love of the fusion of these two genres in particular symbolises the salient musical backdrops of his childhood - the guitar bands he played in with friends, and his musical theatre endeavours that led him to Broadway and multiple Ryan Murphy juggernauts, including his breakthrough playing Blaine Anderson in Glee.

Criss employs these contrasting musical lexicons, and other areas in between, on Masquerade, his new EP. Comprising five stand-alone “character-driven” singles, it sees Criss donning different musical personas. “I’m leaning into people that might know me as an actor,” he explains. “Because if actors can do Shakespeare, romantic comedy, and then do a horror movie and wear a prosthetic nose and a wig, I didn’t understand why I couldn’t just do that with music.” The song “walk of shame” draws on jazz-standard chords interlaced with hip-hop production, “i can’t dance” looks to new-wave, and “for a night like this” is the product of Criss’ goal to create the ultimate end-of-the-night crowd-pleaser for a new-year bash, wedding or bar mitzvah. “This is all of the parts of me as a lifelong fan of these genres, trying my hand at servicing the pieces of them that I love.”

“I really love all styles of music and understanding what makes them unique and special and what makes them really pop. There are so many things that really make things sing - for lack of a better verb - and I like acknowledging those things and celebrating those things.”

“So, let’s begin. I have runners up and shit, and I have artists, I don’t just have the songs, so we might have to pick them as we go.”

“Part of Your World” by Jodi Benson

“When people read this, they’ll go ‘That’s cute, he likes Disney songs’, but it’s more profound than that. Some of the most formative pieces of music to hit me at a very early age would have been any of the songs that were coming from ‘The Disney renaissance.’ The early-mid ‘90s explosion of The Little Mermaid, Aladdin and Beauty and The Beast.

"One of the through lines between the three of those musicals was Howard Ashman, who is one of my all-time heroes. Dramaturg, songwriter - he really was the voice behind what made those songs great. I have always loved Howard’s lyrical sensibility and also Alan Menken, his partner who wrote these songs with him. There was a musical structure to a lot of the songs which I would unconsciously pick up in my own songwriting, not just musically, but the idea that not only did somebody make these songs, but they wrote them for a story.

“There’s a clip of Howard Ashman vocal directing Jodi Benson, who was the original voice of Ariel. It’s a wonderful example of his genius, where not only was he songwriting but he was storytelling in the way he would tell her how to perform it, and you can really see the song coming to life in that clip. That’s when you cross the street from ‘It’s a song’ to ‘This is an experience.’

"There are certain ingredients that are required to elevate music that goes beyond just a nice melody, a beautiful orchestration and a good voice. There are things that are required to really give a performance a characterisation, context and a vulnerability, that he architects in real-time with Jodi Benson. You see that what he’s doing is what makes the record so special, and that’s something that’s always been inspiring to me.”

“MMMBop” by Hanson

“I think my love of Hanson was because some people didn’t like it, so I was like ‘Fuck you, I like this, how do you feel about it?’ But this is difficult for me, because you know, I’m speaking to The Line of Best Fit and we’re trying to be cool! Although, do you know what’s cool? Being accessible! Writing a pop hit when you are 10 years old. Being in a band with your brothers and you’re all below the age of 15, you have a record contract where you are writing, producing and performing songs that are doing well.

“I was 10 years old when their first album Middle of Nowhere came out, and I remember reading somewhere that there were these kids that had a record. At the time, I was playing guitar and I was writing songs, but in my mind I was a kid, and that was it. I couldn’t be on the radio; you had to be a grown up to do this.

"This was the first time where I realised ‘Holy shit, kids can do stuff!’ It’s the value of seeing yourself in the media - that’s a whole other conversation to talk about - but there’s an immense value in feeling like there’s a piece of you out in the zeitgeist and doing well because it’s encouraging. You go, ‘Holy shit, maybe I can do this as well.'

“When you see children doing things, you’re ‘Wow, this is so cute and fabulous’, but then when you actually look at it you go, ‘This is miles above what most people in this age group are capable of,’ and that’s all I saw, because I was in the same age group and I was so inspired by that. This whole album was really a turning point for me, where I was like, ‘I can do this, I can do music too, because these guys can.'

“Ooh La La” by Faces

“This song really blew my mind. It became my own theme. It’s that ‘Make your heart sing’, nostalgic moment when you’re a teenager, driving in the car listening to it, playing guitar with your friends and you’re singing “I wish that I knew what I know now / When I was younger.” You’re like, ‘because I’m an adult now, I’m 15-years-old. If I only knew what I know now.’

“I was doing theatre from a young age and I was part of a young conservatory called A.C.T. in San Francisco. By way of somebody who knew somebody, I had an audition for a movie. As a kid not being near New York or Los Angeles it was really exciting, and this audition was for a film called ‘Max Fischer’, which would become the movie Rushmore, which would become one of my favourite movies of all time by the now very distinguished Wes Anderson.

“Separate from my own objective love of Wes Anderson, when this movie came out I was just around the age of getting into my own sort of identity with music, but also movies - indie movies - and trying to assert who I was. So, I see this movie Rushmore and I love it. I love the soundtrack, I love it so much, it’s one of my favourite albums ever. This song is the end sequence, and the way it made me feel - the vocals on it, I could play it on guitar and it was part of a cool movie - it really represented a lot in my life.

“And because of the acting thing, and Rushmore being great - it’s about this kid in high-school who's misunderstood but has his own agenda - everything about it was just so fucking cool to me. To this day, I cite that song as one of my favourite records of all time.”

“Recently Distressed” by Phantom Planet

“A guy that really formed the way I would sing and write songs is Alex Greenwald, the frontman of Phantom Planet. I went to see Phantom Planet because I loved Rushmore and I found out that Jason Schwartzman [who had been cast as Max Fischer] was also the drummer for a band called Phantom Planet.

"So, when I saw their name on the bill I went, but I didn't know their music. I was barely 14, but their set blew my mind. It was Rock and Roll, but I loved Alex Greenwald’s voice. I loved everything, and I would follow their career from there. I always tell people that my voice is a combination of me trying to be Alex Greenwald, Paul McCartney and Rufus Wainwright, but failing. Alex was incredibly formative for me.

“One of their biggest records was a little while after I first saw them, which was the song for The O.C., "California." That was more of an Elvis Costello thing, and they employed a lot of stuff that sounded to me like The Beatles and a lot of ‘60s mod/pop-rock. But later they would employ things from Fugazi, Radiohead and harder shit, and that eclecticism, again, only accelerated my love for Phantom Planet.

“Recently Distressed” is from their 1998 album Phantom Planet Is Missing. This was a cool rock song that employed these George [Harrison] and Paul [McCartney] background vocals and included all of the things that I loved. It was harder but melodic and employed minor 4th chords and more complicated chords than I was used to. I had grown up with power chords - which are very Gregorian - on a lot of alt. punk rock, like Green Day or Nirvana, and if Kurt Cobain was using power chords then that’s how I was playing guitar. Hearing this music was like ‘Oh, I’m using full chords, not sevenths, minor 4th chords, diminished chords’, shit that I would learn to use more and more.

“When you haven’t experienced much, anything that gives a hint towards possibility, even though it’s probably always been there, you’re like, ‘I like this, I’ve always kind of liked this, but it’s very encouraging to hear somebody else do it and it’s gonna make me reconsider my possibilities.’ That was literally the moment that my power chords turned into full barre chords.”

“Cigarettes and Chocolate Milk” by Rufus Wainwright

“I forgot the other day how I got into Rufus Wainwright, because all of this stuff I was getting into quite young. It’s like when I talk to 11-13 year olds, it’s funny to think that this was when I was really starting to build my musical identity. But then I remembered, and I didn’t want to say because I didn’t want to sound uncool, because he is such a revered artist who exists in a much cooler place than what I’m about to say.

“I loved soundtracks and I would always buy soundtracks for movies that had cool playlists. I had the Shrek soundtrack, and there’s a cover of Leonard Cohen’s seminal “Hallelujah” that Rufus does and he smashes it, and I’m like, ‘Who the fuck is Rufus Wainwright? What a beautiful voice.’ Then I saw that he was going to be at the Virgin Megastore in San Francisco one week, so I go and he’s there promoting his new album Poses. I remember I didn’t have enough money to buy the album that day, so I had him sign my sneaker and I saved that shoe.

“The first song on Poses was “Cigarettes and Chocolate Milk”, which is a very dark and reflective song about his own battles with addiction, but he’s singing it over this really beautiful, whimsical song that has a lot of really great wordplay. I always love when artists, especially lyricists, can encapsulate an idea with not exactly what they’re talking about. The song’s called “Cigarettes and Chocolate Milk”, it’s not called “Addiction”. Its talking about things that he craved and how that’s representative of other things that he’s gone through. There was a sophistication and elegance to that that I really gravitated towards, that I didn’t possess but wanted to shoot for. So when I saw him, that was a big one for me and he would also continue to influence me later in my life.

“I’ve become friends with Rufus since. I’ve performed with him and we’ve made records together, which is crazy. His songwriting was very complex and punk-rock, but he had this classic cabaret voice, the kind of voice that I don’t have. I was fascinated that there was somebody that could write this really dark material but have such elegance on top of it. He was virtuosic on the piano, which I thought was very cool because musicianship is always the thing that gets me going the most about artists.

“You know what? People say, ‘Don’t meet your heroes.' I completely disagree. Chase the living fuck out of your heroes. I’ve spent a lifetime doing so, it’s made me a better artist, and I’ve sometimes got to meet them and work with them. I’ve worked on music with Alex Greenwald of Phantom Planet. I’ve performed with Hanson. I’ve performed those Disney songs with Alan Menken at The Hollywood Bowl.

"This is all because there are people that I love who I have put on my vision board, and the things that they have done are the things that are bringing me to them. So it is nuts, but at the same time you’re like, ‘Well, what else did you think would happen?’ They did stuff that some part of me connected with, so obviously there’s a magnetic pull towards that person.

“Rufus Wainwright is one of my absolute favourite artists of all time and like I said, me trying to sing like him and failing is a big part of my own journey as an artist.”

“3x5” by John Mayer

“John Mayer’s another guy that came around when I was 15. I heard a song of his on a middle-of-the-night, singer/songwriter college radio show. This is where I used to get music. You would listen to these carefully curated playlists that you wouldn’t be able to hear anywhere else, and the host played “No Such Thing”, a new song by this young kid who had just dropped out of Berklee College of Music - John Mayer.

“I’m listening to this song and I’m like, ‘Not only is this guitar playing really interesting, but the lyrical value and everything that is going on here ticks all the boxes.' It was jazz, but it was pop. And he did something that all these other guys and girls I’ve mentioned did. They made something very unique and very accessible.

“I immediately went out to buy this album, Room For Squares, and I listened to it over and over again. It was an album that was really formative for me. "3x5” is a really beautiful song that employs a lot of chord structures and melodies that blew my fucking mind at the time, and it made me wish that I could write songs like that.

“That album was a huge turning point in the way I played the guitar, because it was the first time in my life where I would look up tabs. Up until this point in my life, if I heard a song I could play it instantly. It was like a party trick, I would get how it worked if I heard it, because most of the songs I would hear on the radio - especially those that involved a guitar - were [centred around] power chords. And now I’m hearing all of these ninth chords and thirteenths, and I’m like, ‘What the fuck is this?’ So I’d have to look up tabs.

“I think any young artist can attest to this - when you try and learn other people’s shit, it’s the best tool for educating yourself. Playing other people’s music really helps you lock in what your own style is. Trying to learn these songs - and sometimes pulling it off and sometimes not - really changed the way that my hands moved around the guitar and considered chords and voicings that I’d never really thought of.

“There’s another tie to musical theatre here, where I remember seeing Audra McDonald, who is a very venerated theatre actor, and she did a cabaret. If you’re familiar with cabaret culture, it’s more about performing the story of the songs – ‘Life is a cabaret’. She did a John Mayer song because she thought it was from a musical theatre show, and I was so tickled by this, because I was like ‘Yeah, if you really think about it, I don’t think he knows this and I don’t think his fan base even thinks about this, but there’s a number of his songs that feel very theatrical in the way that the lyrics play with each other and the way the chords move’.

"When I saw this I thought, ‘That is why I like John Mayer’, because yes, he’s an amazing guitar player, but he’s also a really strong songwriter.”

“Cabaret” by Me First and the Gimme Gimmes

“Also, around this time growing up in San Francisco, as a guitar player playing music with your buddies, the number one thing that you play is punk rock. There are different parts of the spectrum of punk rock, there's the NOFX, Swingin’ Utters, like real punk, punk. And then there’s the pop-punk thing that was happening at the same time, which was also equally influential - blink-182 and Green Day.

“Fat Mike was the frontman of NOFX. I loved NOFX, and Me First and the Gimme Gimmes were a supergroup of different members from different punk bands, of which Fat Mike was one of the main architects. They would cover songs and turn them into punk rock songs. They have an album of hits from the ‘60s, and they also have an album called Me First and the Gimme Gimmes: Are a Drag, and that record is just a tonne of musical theatre covers that are done through punk rock.

“That was completely in line with everything I loved at this time of my life but didn’t really know how to articulate. I loved punk rock but I also really loved musical theatre. Not only the performative element of it, but there was a real musicality to musical theatre that wasn’t as present in some of the other shit that was popular at the time, just harmonically, or where chords would go. There was a sophistication I loved that seemed to not exist in punk rock.

“Then hearing Fat Mike at The Warped Tour going ‘Alright, which one of you Motherfuckers loves Julie Andrews?’ and hearing a mixed bag of reactions, because people were ‘What? I was not expecting that from you, sir?’ And then they start playing “My Favourite Things”, a classic Rodgers and Hammerstein song which is very accessible, but sophisticated nonetheless. And I am just living. I’m like, ‘This has got the attitude and simplicity of punk rock, but the sophistication of a beautiful song.’

“That was the first time in my life where I went, ‘It’s just all music. All these categories and boxes are completely arbitrary.’ So I thought, ‘I can do that.' I was playing power chords in punk bands but I realised that you can take chords and make them into other rhythms and voicings and have the same song. I could take a punk song and make it jazz. I could take a jazz song and make it country. So, quite providentially, I would end up on Glee, where they took popular songs and would sometimes do their own versions.

“By that point, I had been doing this my whole life. The first time this ever became a possibility for me was seeing Me First and the Gimme Gimmes, and that way of thinking about music and genre. I’ve put that into Masquerade, and it’s all born from that moment of ‘Oh my God, nothing has to be one thing. It’s just about how you look at it.'

“Cabaret” is from a pretty famous musical that I would’ve probably heard about later in life, but I first heard that song as a punk song and then I went back and heard the original. It doesn’t matter how these things happen, the inspiration happens and then you can go from there. But Me First and The Gimme Gimmes were a huge gateway drug and I play “Cabaret” now every year at my festival. That’s why the festival is called Elsie Fest, because it covers the song.”

“Modern Nature” by Sondre Lerche

“One of the great joys of being a younger brother is that you get to inherit the music of your elders. My brother and I were both really proactive consumers of music, so we would share stuff with each other all the time. But then he would come home from college, which is like coming home from a music festival essentially, right? He was in a new time zone with new people, so he’d bring home these mix CDs that he’d made from people that he’d heard about, and he brings home this guy named Sondre Lerche.

“Hearing this guy blew my mind, because he also was using jazz chords and drawing on musical theatre. Musical theatre’s a massive category, so I can’t just say that musical theatre sounds like one thing, but when I say this, I’m referring to The American Songbook, the jazz standard songbook. “Modern Nature” was a duet that I would go on to play many times with one of my oldest musical collaborators, Charlene Kaye. When we got to college and we both found out that we loved this guy.

“There was a much more whimsical way to how he wrote these songs. And what’s crazy is that loving this guy meant that we also loved Rufus Wainwright, that we also loved these other artists. But Sondre was the first time I considered that I loved that type of music, but I didn’t know that you could be a singer/songwriter and put out music that sounded like it.

“I don’t know if ‘twee’ is the right word to use, but with “Modern Nature” there was a playfulness about it, and again, a musicality that I really gravitated towards. There is a through line - there was a sophistication that was accessible, and me trying to learn those songs did make me rethink the way that I was writing music. The structures were weird and different and I liked that.

“To this day, I find myself writing songs that I think might be difficult for people to ingest, because they’re a little too left of centre, and I realise that I’m trying to write like Sondre Lerche, or I’m unconsciously just copying him.”

“Everything Happens to Me” by Mr Hudson & The Library

“I was in an H&M in Stockholm when I was 21, and I heard this really cool groove and the lyric was “Why must I always play the clown?” It was sung with a really thick British accent, had an 808 feel on it, and lyrically it had an attitude. Who would say something that sounds so like you’re in a Gilbert & Sullivan musical, but it feels hard? It was cool.

“I went home and looked this up and it was off the record A Tale of Two Cities by Mr Hudson and the Library, which would really, really fuck me up. I bought the album immediately because I loved this song. I had to order it on the internet because I couldn’t find it. It was doing well in England and he was on the festival circuit in the early-mid 2000s, but the first song on the album was a musical theatre cover with 808s.

“It was a pared-down, sort of a hip-hop version of “On The Street Where You Live” from My Fair Lady, and I’m like ‘No fucking way, this guy gets where my head is.’ I’d thought about punk rock musical theatre, but I never thought about 808s and 909s scoring these beautiful songs. I go down the track list and he has “Everything Happens to Me”, which is another very famous standard, and he had this really cool, what we would now call chill-hop, ‘study beats’ version of this song. I was like, ‘This is it. This guy gets that good music is good music and you can reinterpret it to offer it as a new song.’

“I would later become great friends with Mr Hudson. I got to meet him years later when I was with Columbia Records, and they said to me ‘Who do you want to meet?’ He was at the top of my list. I went to London and we’ve been friends ever since and have created all kinds of music together.

“He told me a story where Tyler the Creator went up to him once at Coachella and said, ‘Oh man, “Everything Happens To Me”, that’s like my song.’ We both wondered if Tyler the Creator knew that it was a Chet Baker cover. And we were thinking how cool it is that you can offer these songs to a new audience through a different lens. Tyler’s a smart guy, he’s very cultured, and I’m sure he did know. But it’s more the idea that if someone experienced this song and didn’t know that it was a cover, and this is like the first time they ever get to experience it.

“Mr Hudson would go on to do his own thing with Kanye and was on 808s & Heartbreak and has had his own career. I think “Supernova” was a hit in the UK, it didn’t really cross over here to The States, but before that moment for him, that Mr Hudson and The Library album changed my life. People use that phrase willy-nilly, but this literally was a turning point in my life. It all had to do with the same thing that happened with these other songs, where I saw someone do what I always wanted to do but didn’t really know how to pull off. Where he had this fusing of old songs delivered through a contemporary lens, but also laced it with his own original material that also employed the things that made that old songwriting interesting.

“It’s like changing the font of a great essay but finding the font and figuring out that that font is its own art form. He really displayed that marvellously on this.”

The Masquerade EP is out now

#darren criss #the line of best fit #press #sept 2021

[princesssarisa]

Cinderella September-through-November: "A Tale of Cinderella" (1995 filmed stage musical)

I had almost forgotten about this Cinderella's existence, but then I remembered having noticed it on various video store shelves in my childhood. Why I never bought it or rented it I don't know. It's a filmed stage production of a musical produced by the New York State Theatre Institute, with music and lyrics by George David Weiss (known for such pop and jazz standards as "What a Wonderful World," "Can't Help Falling In Love" and "The Lion Sleeps Tonight"), and additional music by Will Severn. It was videotaped in 1995, then released on VHS in 1997, and aired many times on PBS too.

The first and foremost way A Tale of Cinderella sets itself apart from other musical versions of the story is by setting the scene in 19th century Venice, and by peppering the lyrics and dialogue with Italian words and cultural details. The heroine is referred to interchangeably as "Cinderella" or as "la Cenerentola"... and just as in Rossini's opera La Cenerentola, her real name is Angelina. But this adaptation has other creative details too. It features an extended role for Cinderella's father Paolo, who loves his daughter and isn't weak-willed by nature, but whom the beautiful yet wicked stepmother Pulchitruda commands with a magical crystal amulet, which makes him hopelessly enthralled by her charms. Thus Cinderella has no defense against Pulchitruda or her bullying daughters Moltovoce ("much voice," or "loudmouth") and Seppia ("squid"). But she does have an ally in her beloved grandmother, La Stella, the mother of her own late mother, who urges her never to give up hope... and who is also her fairy godmother, stirring up magic with a wooden pasta spoon instead of a wand.

The handsome Prince Nicolo also has a fairy godfather of his own, a slightly pompous and bumbling yet benevolent gentleman called Il Compare, who carries a magic sword. The Prince and Cinderella first meet in the town square, he disguised in an elegant Venetian mask, and are instantly smitten with each other; after she departs, Il Compare's magic lets Nicolo hear Cinderella's singing from afar, which makes him fall even harder. This inspires him to extend the invitations of the already-scheduled masked ball from only princesses to every unmarried maiden in Venice and to have them all sing for him in hope of finding her. But when Cinderella finally steals and hides her stepmother's amulet to free her father from its spell, Pulchitruda refuses to let her go to the ball unless she returns it, and she sadly gives up the ball for her father's sake. Fortunately, La Stella conjures up a gown, crystal slippers and a gondola so she can go after all. And when Prince Nicolo searches for the foot that fits the slipper she lost, just as Pulchitruda lies that there are no other young ladies in the house than her daughters, Il Compare's magic makes everyone hear Cinderella's singing yet again, revealing her presence. Meanwhile, La Stella and Il Compare share an adorable, teasing December/December romance that unfolds at the same time as their godchildren's love.

The songs are numerous: "Buon Giorno," ""The Tale of Cinderella," "Hear Us," "Cinderella," "Poor, Poor, Poor," "In The Air," "These Graceful Hands," "Showoff," "Have Faith," "Make Magic," "Demons and Devils and Witches," "Peliculo," "Unmarried Women," "Out of the Ashes," "Bring My Porridge," "Some Sweet Day," "Can You Believe It?" "Love, Love, Love, Love," "Bells/Mi Dispiace," "The Amulet," "Don't Mess With La Stella," "Be Back By Midnight," "Compliments," "No One Ever Told Me," "The Prince," and "You Are My Love." While they don't equal Rodgers and Hammerstein in quality, all the same they make a tuneful, charming score. The Venetian-flavored costumes are equally appealing and the simple yet effective stage sets and magic effects serve their purpose well.

Christianne Tisdale, a veteran Belle from Broadway's Beauty and the Beast and Christine Daaé from Yeston and Kopit's Phantom, is an engaging Cinderella. Her voice is equally at home in sweet operatic tones and in powerhouse belting, though it can be thin at times, and she does a fine job of portraying the feistiest, most "modern" Cinderella since Libuše Šafránková in Three Wishes. While still kind, selfless, and vulnerable to sadness and yearning, this Italian Cenerentola is also witty, smart-mouthed, angry, and more than capable of defying her stepfamily or fantasizing about revenge. The rest of the cast is likable too, particularly Sean Frank Sullivan's lively Prince Nicolo with his bright tenor voice, Joel Aroeste's poignant, fatherly Paolo, and perhaps most appealing of all, Lorraine Serabian's warm, sassy, exuberant La Stella and John Romeo's endearingly swaggering yet insecure Il Compare.

This underrated Cinderella musical is definitely worth seeking out. It might not outshine the Rodgers and Hammerstein versions or Disney's animated film, but it's still charming from beginning to end.

@superkingofpriderock, @ariel-seagull-wings

#cinderella #fairy tale #cinderella september through november #a tale of cinderella #musical #1995 #1997 #george david weiss #will severin

[disneydarlin]

Top 9 Fun Disney Songs

Since the beginning, Disney has always been a family based company. Many of the beloved movies are most likely the first thing lots of people become introduced to as kids. This is because several of the animated films are based on fairy tales or other literature sources. In order to be adapted into movies, the simple, short books had to be stretched out through songs. Due to this, the best fun Disney film songs will be presented.

1. “Be Our Guest” From 1991 Beauty & the Beast: There are many obnoxious and almost repetitive songs provided by the Disney Company. However, Be Our Guest is favored by most Disney fans as the best entertaining number of all time. It’s an up-tempo Broadway and cabaret-style song. Be Our Guest was written by composer Alan Menken and lyricist Howard Ashman. It was originally recorded by Jerry Orbach as Lumiere and Angela Lansbury as Mrs. Potts.

2. “Friend Like Me” From 1992 Aladdin: In the movie, a character named, the Genie, sings this song. He’s played by and sung by Robin Williams. This musical number features a Casino theme as if the universe was inspired by Las Vegas Nivea. There are a variety of people and creatures preforming dance sequences provided by the Genie's magical whim. Altogether, the event is similar to a fun and crazy Vegas show.

3. “Under the Sea” From the Little Mermaid: This theme song is influenced by the Calypso style of Trinidad and Tobago. The number is performed by Samuel E. Wright as the sea crab named, Sebastian. In the song, all the sea creatures are enjoying their free life in the water in comparison to the difficult world above. It’s fun how every animal is invited to play an instrument and dance in the welcoming event.

4. “Why Should I Worry” From Oliver & Company: Dodger is a street-wise dog from New York City. The character is preformed by Billy Joel. In the movie, the dog sings his hit single from the film’s soundtrack during one of the most messed up moments of the flick. Despite this, the number is the catchiest song Disney has ever produced. Once fans hear the beat, this song will be struck in their heads for a while.

5. “I2I” From the Goofy Movie: Disneytoon Studios’ film features an 80′s inspired pop song called I2I. The title is pronounced, “Eye to Eye”. It’s performed by Tevin Campbell as the character, Powerline, in-universe on stage at a concert in Los Angeles. The song’s title is meant to pay homage to some of the titles Prince’s songs had, like “I Would Die 4 U”.

6. “Prince Ali” From 1992 Aladdin: Instead of a Vegas show performance, this song is presented in a parade theme. Once again, this musical number is sung by Robin Williams as Genie. The song’s music is written by Alan Menken. Howard Ashman wrote the bouncing lyrics to the fantastic song. Since this is the second song from the 1992 Aladdin movie to appear on the list, perhaps this film has one of the best soundtracks of all.

7. “The Silly Song” From Snow White & the Seven Dwarfs: Unlike the other songs, this musical number has two names. It’s also known as the Dwarfs’ Yodel Song. In the performance, the Dwarfs decide to host a party for Snow White as thanks for all the cooking and cleaning she’s done for them. Roy Atwell as Doc, Billy Gilbert as Sneezy, Otis Harlan as Happy, and Scotty Mattraw as Bashful; all preform in the song. Jimmy MacDonald is the Yodeler. The number was composed by Frank Churchill and the lyrics were written by Larry Morey.

8. “Almost There” From Princess & the Frog: Tiana’s picture, of her dream restaurant, takes over during the musical number. In the performance, the animation turns into an art deco style. Anika Noni Rose sings as Tiana during the song. The music was composed by Randy Newman. Although this song may not put people into a sudden clap and dance mood, this banger may make some viewers bob their heads to the music.

9. “I Just Can’t Wait to Be King” From 1994 the Lion King: For this song, Jason Weaver preformed as Young Simba. Rowan Atkinson played as Zazu. Finally, Laura Williams sang as young Nala. The singing trio were accompanied by a chorus playing in the background of the number. Tim Rice composed the lyrics for the song, while the music was created by Elton John.

What do you think? Do you agree with the top picks? If not, what songs should be on the list? Please share with me!

#disney #article #disney songs #beauty and the beast #aladdin #the little mermaid #the lion king #the princess and the frog #snow white and the seven dwarfs #goofy

[calliecat93]

Callie’s Disney Princess Retrospective: Beauty and the Beast

(Snow White) (Cinderella) (Sleeping Beauty) (The Little Mermaid)

The Little Mermaid was a huge success for Disney. It was such a big success that it began the Renaissance Era of Disney Animation and returned Disney to the top animation studio. While many people such as John Musker, Ron Clements, and Glen Keane can be credited for the film's success, the biggest player by far was lyricist Howard Ashman. He put his heart and soul into the film, and not just with song lyrics. He wanted the characters to connect to the audience. He wanted to play a part in the story. He wanted this film to be something special, and he succeeded. But he was also frustrated, could be argumentative when others didn't like his vision, and unknown to everyone, he was dying. After winning two Oscars for The Little Mermaid's music, Howard revealed to composer Alan Menken that he had AIDS, and he didn't have much longer to live.

However, Ashman wasn't going down before completing one more film. Though he had been writing music for Aladdin, he ultimately ended up as the lyricist of another film. A film that had been through many different iterations and was handed off to newbie directors. Little did anyone know just how impactful this film would be for Disney, and for the industry as a whole. Well, except for Ashman himself. The film that we are discussing today is the first animated film to ever, ever be nominated for Best Feature. That film is 1991''s Beauty and the Beast.

Overview

Belle is a beautiful young woman, but is seen as an oddity in her village due to her love of books and her utter disinterest in local heartthrob Gaston. When her father, an inventor named Maurice, leaves for a science fair, he ends up taking refuge in an old, abandoned castle. But the castle is actually enchanted and acts as the home to dozens of talking inanimate objects... and a fearsome beast. When Belle goes looking for her father, she offers to take his place as the Beast’s prisoner. But during her time in the castle, Belle discovers that this Beast may not be as much of a monster as he appears, and this may lead to both discovering true love...

Review

I don’t think it’s a stretch to say that this is by far one of Disney’s most beloved films. It got praise form both critics and movie-goers when it came out, and it’s only become more beloved in the nearly 20 years since. Belle is praised as a feminist's icon and the film for it’s themes of toxic masculinity, judging a book by it’s cover, and some of the darker aspects of society like those we blindly praise. I... like the film, but I never loved it to the extent as others. Not because it’s bad, that is a ridiculous notion. I just liked other films more and Belle just didn’t interest me as others like Cinderella or Mulan or Ariel. But seeing it again as an adult who has seen the darker aspects of society since I was a kid, it REALLY rings more deeply than it did back then.

One aspect that no one can argue about is the animation. The film is beautiful. It has some of Disney’s best animators at the time such as Glen Keene, Mark Henn, Andreas Deja, and so much more. There was so much life put into the film and it is a true visual spectacle.I meant hey managed to take inaminate objects, and bring them to life. Sure they have faces to help humanize them, but to make us believe that these are talking, moving objects that were once human is still a VERY difficult task. But they have so much personality like the suave, passionate candlesick Lumiere or the stuffy, orderly Cogsworth. The backgrounds andf settings are also great fromt he Sleepy Hollow-esque village to the gothic castle of The Beast, to the creedy woods that look even more terrifying when it snows. There’s so much color and lighting that is used so well, especially with the castle eminating so much mystery and intrigue compared tot he plain village that Belle is from.

But the setting we all remember most of all is the ballroom. While Disney has been using CGI some before, such as Big Ben in The Great Mouse Detective (yes,t hat WHOLE setting was computer graphics), this is probably the biggest use to date. The ballroom is a gorgeous golden color and looks so big and vast. It takes you’re breath away. There’s a reason why this is the most well-remembered part of the film. The animaiton for this film was very straining, especially due to conditios to accomodate Ashman that we’ll get to later. It was stressful, but they absoluteley put their all into it. When you watcht he ballroom sequence, added to the dance and Angela Lansbury’s lovely vocals, you forget that you’re even watching a movie. It feels like... well, love. It’s by far one of Disney’s best looking features.

As I said in the intro, the film ultimately fell into the laps of two relatively rookie animators; Kirk Wise and Gary Trousdale. This was after several various attempts to adapt the film, with none successful. Wise and Trousdale’s biggest claim to fame at the time was doing animaiton for EPCOT’s now defunct Cranium Command attraction (look up Who Stole Buzzy, boy is THAT a story) and while they had worked on other features, they had never been in the director seats. To make it more difficult, due to Ashman’s health continuing to gradually decline, Katzenburg decided to move produciton over to New York to spare him from having to travel. Which is a VERY noble effort and it’s sweet that they were willing to do so to keep working with Ashman, but as you can imagine this was quite a strain on the production team and as before, they would sometimes clash with Ashman and his vision. Still, they along with Menken returning as composer and writer Linda Woolverton, they reworked the then-script into something that they were happy with.

The setting is very reminiscent of another Disney work, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. One of two segments from the Package Film Era feature The Adventure of Ichabod and Mr. Toad. We all know the story of Ichabod and his infamous ride where he encountered the Headless Horseman. Here we have a similar quaint village where people seem rather simple-minded. Like in Sleepy Hollow where everyone took notice tot he rather strange looking Ichabod Crane, we see a similar notice of Belle who is an anomaly to them. Though unlike Ichabod, who had pretty much everyone under his thumb and is kind of a gold diging jerk, Belle is ostracized and is a FAR better person. Gaston bears a striking resemblance to Brom Bones in both looks and social status (tough Brom isn’t as bad in comparison or even compared to Ichabod, though still a Jerk Jock) and the Bimbettes bear a bit of similarity to Katrina. I wouldn’t be surprised if the crew used Sleepy Hollow as inspiration for setting and character design. Only thing missing is the Headless Horseman, which that would have been interesting XD

The film deals with several topics. There’s the standard ‘don’t judge a book by it’s cover’ and ‘true love conquers all’ messages. Both of which are handled very well. But there are also some that IDT Disney had ever really tackled to this point. There’s encouraging women to make their own choices, which Disney HAS tackled but this one does it differently with Belle rejecting the standard good-looking man and falling for the monstrous looking one. In fact there is really a strong theme tearing down toxic masculinity and male entitlement. It says that no, men are not obligated to a woman and that women have the freedom to reject them no matter the societal pressure. Especially if they act as despicable as Gaston. With how much more aware we’ve become of how horrible some men in power can be and how they use that power on vulnerable women, this remains a relevant message to todays audience. It let’s women be empowered, confident, and enjoy things like reading as well as have the hope of finding those who will be accepting. These are all important things, and the film does an excellent job in showing it and what actual love should be like. The Beast especially starts as a jerk, but once he decides to become better and wants to be better for no ulterior reasons, he proves worthy of Belle’s love. That’s how love should be and how a person should change themselves. Again, very well done.

Despite his health and being downcast about not completing Aladdin, Ashman still put his all into the film. As I said, they outright shifted production to another state at a time when social media and things like Skype and Zoom were a distant dream. Still, Ashman along with Menken put their all into the soundtrack, and it paid off big time. This film, along with The Little Mermaid, really set up the precedent for Broadway-style animaed films and considering that they continue to be successful, I’d say that that says a lot. There are a lot of memorable songs int his fimlm, and there’s even some that didn’t make it in. One in particular, Human Again, actualy got animated and added back for the film’s IMAX release and various home media releases (sadly it’s not in the Disney+ version). The score is also very well done, especially at the end. Just listen to the music when the Beast finally turns human again. It added to the outright magical animation will leave you in awe as much as Belle was.

But what about the vocal tracks? Good question. Let’s go over them:

Belle/Belle Reprise: Our first song which as the name suggests, is about our leading lady. It does a lovely job establishing her character as a book-loving, intelligent young woman feeling that there was be more than this life ans village that she remains stuck in. It also establishes the village’s rather simple-mindedness and socital expectatons, finding Belle a beautiful but very strange girl because of her loving reading more than getting married. It also establishes Gaston’s smugness, entitlement, and holding the entire village’s admiration, The music is optimistic, but there’s a lot here that’s gonna take a dark turn a the film goes on. The reprise is short and more somber, but let’s Belle express her unwillignness to marry a man like Gaston, wanting to find love on her own terms. Little does she know what’s awating her right after.

Gaston: No one can have a song named after Gaston like Gaston! Yeah, this inspired plenty of meme’s, didn’t it? Even Disney itself has gotten in on the fun haha! But seriously, this is a fun villain song. I gotta give Gaston this, he’s a smug, horrible person but he shows that he can back up many of his boasts. I don’t doubt that he can eat dozens of eggs a day or is as strong as an ox. The song also further shows the town’s utter blind devotion to this brute, not being concerned about his entitlement to a girl who clearly isnt interest and more because of how handsome and grand he is. Isn’t society fun kids?! But then at the end, after Maurice is kicked out, it takes a darker turn as Gaston makes his plans to essentially blackmail Belle with her father’s safety... and right back to blind praise! I feel zero sympathy for any of the villagers in this film. But yeah, a song with a lot of dark implications, but still a very enjoyable villain song.

Be Our Guest: This is a true show-stopper, and I’m not just saying that. Lumiere wanted to create a show, and BOY did he succeed. The song is the most like a Broadway number in it’s composition and grand feeling. The fact that we have a huge number full fo singing, dancing, stuntwork, etc is being done by a bunch of dishes and pretty freakin’ impressive. Yet the animators gave it all so much life and Jerry Orback sings with so much passion and energy and it is just SO much fun to watch! Especially with poor Cogsworth at first trying to get everyone to calm down, but by the end he gets real into it... well until Lumiere knocks him to the side. The only negative is that for being a song about serving Belle dinner, aside form a bit of The Grey Stuff she didn’t even eat dinner. For shame! So 1 out fo 10 of food servive, but the show was worthy of two thumbs up!

Something More: This was the song that replaced Human Again. It’s a sweet song about Belle and Beast beginning to realize their feelings the more that they spend aroudn each other. Belle sees that Beast may not be very well-mannered or much of a looker, but he does have a good heart and the more they interact, the more it begins to show. Belle’s kindness, intellience, and willingness to look beyond the surface has Beast falling in love with her, yet his fear of being a monster is still holding him back. Still as we see the two do things like have dinner, play in the snow, or even Beast letting Belle read to him, the more we see that spark of love slowly grow, even if they haven’t fully grasped it. It helps advance the romance, and it’s just really sweet.

Beauty and the Beast: The song that won Menken and Ashman another Oscar. It’s not hard to see why either. The song is beautiful. It’s performed by Angela Lansbury, and her gentle vocals accompanies by the gentle orchestra is just lovely. The woman outright did the song in one take. One take. That is insane, yet it happened. And I can see why because the song is just beautiful. It adds to much to the already majestic ballroom scene, being about two unlikely individuals finding love and ultimately making the other a better person. It’s just a work of beauty. There’s also the pop version by Celine Dion and Peabo Bryson, which I also really love. It’s more commerical, but still very pretty especially with Celine’s gorgeous singing voice. Both versions are beautiful, and the first thing I think of when I think of this film... and no, not just beause of the name.

The Mob Song: This is exactly as you would expect with a song with that title. It’s dark, angry, and scary. Gaston rallies the troops to kill The Beast, convincing them that he is a danger to them all. They grab their torches, weapons, and there’s just this tense atmosphere throughout. This is the culminaiton of al the socital expectations and blind devotion to a person who doesn’t at all deserve it. It’s also a very accurate protrayal of the mob mentality, where you become a part of this hivemind following the rest of the crowd no matter how wrong it may be and despite your own senebilities. The only ones who don’t fall into it, Belle and Maurice, get tossed into a basement for their trouble. What makes this song sad though? In Disney+’s documentary Howard, produced by Don Hahn who also produced this film, it was explained how in the eyes of several of his colleagues, it seemed like Ashman was venting about the AIDS epidemic. That was a VERY dark time where the gay community was especially under fire, persecuted, hated, and so many other horrible things because the world chose to blame them for it. Ashman was a gay man. He had an ex partner die of AIDS, and had another partner at the time who talked about him in the documentary. Imagine being scapegoated just because of your sexuality, even though you never caused any harm, and society hated on you and others fell into he mob mentality, and they went as far as to either demand you to die or do the job themselves. All because you were different. Really adds a new perspecive to the song, doesn’t it? This can be applied to so many groups too, which makes the song even scarier, but also emphasize even more how dangerous the mob mentality is. Very effective song.

Sadly, Howard wouldn’t live to see all of his numbers to completion. With his health declining rapidly, Menken and various others went back and forth between Burbank and New York in order to work with him. Ashman worked until he psycially couldn’t anymore. He was even giving notes to performers like Paige O’Hara despite barely being able to talk. He managed to complete his work, at least to my knowledge, before his passing on March 14th, 1991, just a few months before the film’s release. After a screentest, which proved very successful, Don Hahn and some other colleagues went to see Ashman in the hospital to say their goodbyes. Hahn told him of the reception, and jokingly asked who would ahve expected that the film would have turned out so great? Ashman’s response? “I did.” The work he managed to do for Aladdin would be included in the film, which we’ll discuss when we get to that one. The soundtrack won the Oscar which was awarded to Ashman (as well as Menken) posthumously and a dedication to him was including at the end of the film. It’s always sad to see such a talented individual leave us far too soon, but his work truly brought new life to Disney and is beloved even all these years later. That is a legacy that will never fade.

Now we get to characters, and we have quite a good number of them. We have of course the village that Belle is from. On the surface, they seem like pretty plain people, satisfied with their way of life. But this also causes them to at least not think highly of those who break from that way of life. The men work, the women care for the children. If men don’t work, they’re jerk slobs. They all especially fall into blind admiration for the strong, handsome Gaston who is hailed as a local hero. So much so that no one gives ANY of his terrible actions an ounce of consideraiton. Selling Maurcie tot he looney bin? Well he’s alreafy viewed as crazy, so ah well. Belle trying to tell them that The Beast isn’t a monster? While their first imprression of him is defeniteley a bad one, the fact that they listen to Gaston and not the woman who actually interacted with The Beast says a lot about how simple minded they all are. I hope they learned their lesson after all was said and done, but even if not Belle doesn’t have to pay them any mind anyways.

The only person who is accepting of Belle is her father, Maurice. He’s viewed as a crackpot, but Maurice is a good-hearted, smart, and perfectly sensible man. He’s a bit of a goof with how his inventions can go haywire, but otherwise is no diferent from any other person. But like his daughter, his interests have him judged instead of what he’s like as a person. It’s especially sad when he tries to get help to save Belle, and he is merely laughed at and thrown out because of his status. Maurice is a loving father, accepting of Belle and of her interests and choices. She isn’t interested in Gaston? Fine with him. People view her as odd? That’s utterly ridiculous. It’s really nice to have a parent who is supportive and involved int heir kids life, especally compared to Triton last time who may be caring, but is utterly against everything that matters to Ariel. In fact it’s the firs ttime we’ve had this since Snow White and Cinderlla’s parents are dead and their stepmothers are horrible, Aurora grew up away from her otherwise caring parents, and Ariel... it’s complicated. Maurice is a good guy and it is good that Belle has someone who accepts her unconditionaly. She loves him so much that she sacrificed her happiness for him twice to protect him, which really shows how strong their bond is.

That brings us to our villain, Gaston. He is a hunter who is muscular, handsome, and has physical skills that he can back up. However he is also entitled, egotistical, sefish, and just a horrible person. He wants to marry Belle only because of her beauty and instead of trying to get to know her or shifitng atteniton to any of the girls who would gladly grovel before him, he pursues her despite her not liking him. It’s especially bad when he goes to her house, sets up a huge engagement party, and gets into her personal space in his attempts to charm her. She not only rejects him, but promptly humiliates him. Yet instead of thinking that he had tried far too hard and jumped the gun, he blames Belle for daring to reject him. He reflects exactly how society can view someone like him. No one thinks about the woman, they only see a good-looking man get rejected despite us not knowing anything about ther perosn or their relaitonship. Especially if that man is essentially a celebrity, which makes people look past anyhing.

But none of these things are indicitive of an evil perosn. An arrogant jerk yes, but not evil. That all changes when, after Maurice tries to get help, Gaston comes up with a new plan. He decides to have Maurice admitted to an asylum for being crazy, and to use this to force Belle to marry him. This is what shifts Gaston from a jerk to a true villain. This is how far his entitlement and selfishness goes. He is willing to take Belle’s own elderly father and use him and his freedom as blackmail to force her to marry him. Even compared to the four villainesses before him who committed horrible acts such as attempted murder, mental/emotional abuse, and even attempting world domination, this is utterly despicable. Then there's him deciding to kill The Beast. Despite what he says, it's not because of the potential risk to the town, it's solely because he sees that Belle loves him and can't stand it. He outright calls her crazy AND locks her and Maurice up out of pure entitlement and selfishness. He doesn't give a damn about Belle or her though and well-being. Only about his own.

Gaston is entertaining, but very much evil. As I said above he bears a lot of similarity to Brom Bones from Disney's The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. A muscular jock-like figure often the most beautifiul girl in town. Only while Brom was a jerk, he was arguably less bad than Ichabod Crane depending how you looked at it. Gaston essentially has Brom's muscles an Ichabod's selfishness. He cares only for himself and his own pride. Admittedly he put up a decent fight against The Beast, but that's only because Beast wasn’t fighting back until he saw Belle. When he did, Gaston whimpered and begged like the pathetic man that he is. Then he stabbed him despite being spared out of pure spite. An act that cost him his life. Fun fact, originally he survived the fall and was truly killed via the wolves. They ended up saving that for Scar's death in The Lion King. But yeah, Gaston died in the undignifiedmanner that he deserved. A despicable but memorable villain who was perfect for this film.

Then we have the castle characters. You’d think that it would be difficult to give life to a bunch of furniture and appliances... and it probably was. But this movie makes it look easy. They do give most of them humanoid features, like eyes and a mouth, but not all of them and even then it would be so easy to make it look creepy. But the castle staff is just os much fun and beaming with personality. We’re gonna discuss the main four: Lumiere, Cogsworth, Mrs. Potts, and Chip.

Lumiere is a candlestick, which matches his passionate characterization. He’s a showman. A romantic. A more daring, out-going character compared to his frequent frenemy Cogsworth. Cogsworth is a clock and I think he’s implied to be the Beast’s butler or some other kind of advisor. He’s stuffy, nervous, and the most lawful of the characters. Though he CAN get into the fun of things with a little provoking as demonstrated in Be Our Guest and the big battle during the climax. Hoenstly, Be Our Guest is a great number to demonstrate the two’s contrasitng perosnalities. Belle has been banned from eating and Cogsworth doens’t want to both break the Beast’s orders nor cause a bunch of noise that would anger him. Lumiere however? He’s dead set on getting Belle to fall for the Beast, so she should be treated as their guest, not a prisoner. Plus he and the other staff are tired after ten years of being stuck as they are and all alone, so cue the extravagant show number. Lumiere is having the time of his life while Cogsworth tries to convince everyone to stop... but by the end gets caught up in it and joins in ont he fun. Too bad that Lumiere knocks him off the center stage at the end haha. But yeah, their constant banter is amusing but they are clealry friends, especially in the fight where Cogsworth saves Lumiere. They’re both also performed wonderfully by their VA’s, Jerry Orbach and David Odgen Stiers, the latter of whom would appear in several more Disney films, including one for this series that we’ll get to fairly soon.

Mrs. Potts is a teapot and her son Chip is a tea cup. I guess that Chip ended up that way to match his mother, which her being a teapot matches her mothelry persona. She’s very kind and consoling towards Belle and seems the most understanding about The Beast and why he acts ike he does. Which since I think that she was essentially the house caretaker, makes sense since she’d have likely been the one looking out for him. Plus she herself is a mother, and since Beast has the emotion coping skills of a child, she’d know how to deal with it. Chip is the token child character, though not a bad one. He’s a nice kid with a huge curiosity. It’s really cute how hen allt he adults are seeing the bloomign romance between Belle and Beast, he’s uttelry confused like any kid would be haha! He takes a liking to Belle quickly, though more like he sees her as if she were an older sister than any kind fo crush or the like. He’s also smart, figuring out how to use Maurice’s inveniton to free Belle and Maurice quickly...and him wanitng to do it again got a good laugh out of me haha! Mrs. Potts is a nurturing mother and her with Chip is so sweet,e specially when they’re truly human again. Plus her advice of how things will turn out alright in the end is advice that I look back on sometimes. it’s really comforitng.

So... as I’ve mentioned in these reviews, a big issue is how underdeveloped that the prince has been. The first two were plot devices only. Phillip and Eric were better int hat they were active int he plot and Eric had some more perosnality and motivation than the other three did. But it just didn’t feel like the male elads were... quite at their full potential yet. They generally didn’t recieve any character development and were mainly there for the sake of being a lov einterest to the heroine. That all changed in this film with our hero, The Beast.

Beast is one of the most well-developed male leads in a Disney Princess film. A few like Aladdin, Naveen, and Eugene rival him for overall best (though tbf the former IS the lead of his movie so that may not count) but Beast helped make the princes more equal to their princess without overshadowing her. Beast is the co-protagonist to Belle and the character that recieves the bulk of the character development. The opening tells us all that we need to know: Beast was once Prince Adam, a spoiled brat. When he turned away an elderly begger, it turned out that she was an Enchantress and she cursed him into his monsturous form. Since he looks like a monster, he subsequently acts like a monster... or more accurately, like the child that he never truly grew out of emotionally. He’s angry, lashes out constantly, and roars at the top of his lungs when at his limit. Like how a child screams and throws a tantrum when things don’t go their way because they lack the social and emotional coping skills to handle their feelings properly. Becoming a beast left Beast isolated and ashamed to face reality, and thus he didn’t learnt he proper coping skills. He accepted that he would forever be a monster, and succumb to acting like one.

That is, until the day that Belle arrived. When she offers herself to free her father, it’s the opportunity that Beast never beleived that he would get. If he can win her love before the rose petals all fall, he’ll be human again. He’ll be free. While he begins still acitng agressive and even bordeirng on emotionally abusive, e isn’t heartless. When Belle is crying about not getting to say goodbye to her father, Beast seems to legit feel bad for hurting her. It doens’t change his behavior, but it’s still a small moment that shows some humanization. It’s important to add moments like this and his despair when using the mirror to hear Belle talk about him. She’s justified in disliking him at that point, but it’s his reactions that matter. It shows his insecurity, his fear, his utter despair that he’ll be cursed for the rest of eternity. He’s already succumbed to acting the part of a monster and is already struggling to act more polite. As amusing as the scene of him yelling at Belle through the door is, it demonstrates just how hard this is for him but if he can’t improve his behavior, then he has no chance. He knows it, and views it as hopeless. It helps humanize The Beast, showing that despite his appearance there IS a human soul in there somewhere. Someone who on some level does want to be better, but he doesn’t know how. If not for these moments, Beast would have been utterly unsympathetic, but they pulled it off.

The turning point comes after Beast rescues Belle from the wolves. Remember, he’d already pretty much given up on winning Belle over and being human again and the confrontation on the third floor certainly didn’t help matters. He could have just let Belle to her own devices... but instead he went to save her. I sincerely do not believe it was because she was a prisoner or because he needed her. He had given up. He had succumbed. But he did it anyways, showing that he isn’t a bad person. It’s something that Belle sees and she gets him back to the castle to treat him. She called him out on his temper, but is sincerely grateful and Beast is stunned by this genuine act of kindness. She didn’t fear him. She wasn’t disgusted by him. She didn’t even leave him to die despite having pretty good reason to leave him and go. Belle still chose to save his life as he did her’s, showing Beast probably the first true act of love that he ever experienced in his life. We know nothing of his family and while I’m sure that staff members like Ms. Potts certainly cared for him, clearly they didn’t do much to quell his spoiled behavior. Belle was kind because she’s a kind person, and Beast finds that he wants to be kind to her in return.

From that point, we see Beast in a new light. He calms down significantly. He’s happier. He carries himself less like a wild animal and more like a person. He’s outright excited when he prepares the library to surprise Belle with. He’s still awkward as shown with his table manners and interacting with birds durign Something There, but he is trying. He’s trying for Belle. He activly enjoys her company. He sees how beautiful she is physically, but that’s not why he likes her. She’s kind, intelligent, independant, and she makes him feel in a way that he never has. He still feels that she can’t love him because of what he is, but the change that she has caused is so evident. He’s fallen in love and the ballroom scene only strengthens that with himt he happiest that he’s been all film. But the crowner that truly demonstrates htis? When Belle expresses missing her father, he lets her use the mirror. Not only does he seem legit concerned when they see Maurice freezing to death but when he sees Belle’s clear distress, he decides to let her go. He’s sad when he does so, knowing that she may very well never return. But Belle’s father needs her. he can’t force her to say and be miserable. He loves her so much that he decided to let her go. But it does mean that he gav up his final chance at being human after feeling more human than he had in ten years, and he is left in despair.

His despair is so strong that when Gaston and the mob arrives, he doesn’t even try to fight back. He just waits and is prepared to let whatever happens to him happen. Fortunately Belle coming back restores his will to live and he fights back. When Gaston grovels for his life, what does Beast do? He grants it, simply growling at him to leave. It is that moment hat shows how much of a better person that Beast is compared to Gaston. He was an angry man bordering on abusive, but he changed. He met someone who wasn’t willing to take his behavior, but was also willing to see the good that was in him. He changed for her, and it made him a kinder, more selfless person. The only thing that remains is his self-loathing, even saying that maybe him dying is for the best after Gaston has stabbed him. Fortunately Belle confesses her love, and it not only saves his life, but breaks the curse just in time. Beast is restored to Adam, having earned the right to having his humanity back. It was a lovely way to cap off his development, and allowed him to earn his happily ever after.

Beast was very much Belle’s equal. Even nowadays they’re both promoted and marketed pretty equally. One’s story would have been incomplete without the other. They gave each other what they each wanted and needed. I’ll go into specifics for Belle when I get to her below, but in the Beast’s case he needed someone kind, but also independent. Someone who wouldn’t tolerate his behavior and push him to change himself, but still kind-hearted enough to see that there is something there and be willing to help. Belle treated him in a way that no one else had. She was defiant, but also caring. She pushed him to rediscover his humanity. She got him to want to be kind. She got him to want to be a better person, and he not only treated her better but he was kinder to his staff as well. He finally grew up from the spoiled brat that he was before. He had found a reason to, and his love was so genuine that he let Belle go to be with her father again. It’s a beautiful story of growth and did enough to make Beast’s issues clear and not excusable, but sympathetic enough that we wanted him to be better and feel happy when he does so. He’s the best developed male lead in a Disney Princess film up to this point and helped pave the way for equally well done male leads. Ones not there just to fill out a plot beat and be the princesses’ reward, but to stand at her side as her equal.

Boy did THAT one get long. there’s other minor characters. Le Fou, The Bimbettes, the psyche ward keeper voiced by the late, great Tony Jay, various other castle characters, etc. all of them are entertaining, I just don’t have much to say about them. So then... we have one more to go.

Belle Analysis

https://youtu.be/M4ne1A1aNrI

Belle is one of the most praised and beloved Disney Princesses of all time. She is smart, playful, independent, and kind-hearted. I feel like she gets overly praised at times, mainly because some like to use her to bash her four predecessors since she didn’t have the goal of falling in love. I won’t repeat what I said about the four, you can read the reviews, but it’s a VERY unfair argument not just to them, but to Belle as well. She’s used as a tool to bash other female characters instead of being loved for herself. Then agains he also gets bashed for the Stolkholm Syndrome argument, which we’ll get to that aspect here soon. But for now, let’s just discuss Belle piece by piece and see where the path leads us.

Belle’s intro establishes everything right off the bat. So much so that the intro sing is literally titled Belle. She’s bookish and cheerful, but it’s clear from her interactions witht he villagers and their own gossip that she’s seen as weird. The only people who seem to like her as she is is the bookshop owner and her own father. The women are jealous of her beauty, the men only see her for her beauty, and both sides are confused at her lack of conformity. Belle lives in a town that clearly has very old-fashioned views regarding gender roles. The men work, the women get married and have babies. They all seem content with this... except for Belle. She enjoys books and adventure, musing about wanting more than the provincial life that she has. She strolls through the village with her nose stuck in a book, but has no trouble navigating at all depsite the distraction. Books provide her a source of adventure and thrill that her limited life does not. She breaks those old-fashioned norms and he village is uttelry baffled at to how she can be this way. But what truly makes her a bafflement to everyone? Her utter rejection of Gaston. While just about every other women swoons at his feet, Belle couldn’t be less impressed if she tried. She’s familiar with how he is and if she had’t recieved his advances before their first scene, she’s probably seen it enough times to know that she doesn’t like him. Him dismisisng her passion for books and insulting her father did him no favors.

On the surface, Belle does’t seem bothered by these things. But when home, she does express some hurt about ti to her father, the one perosn who loves her for her unconditionally. She knows that she doesn’t fit in. She knows that she’s not happy with her life. She wants someone to understand her besides her father. She wants more to life where she can be herself. She wants to find love on her own terms and not have to deal with the advances of men like Gaston. None of this stops her form being able to handle herself, as demonstrated when Gaston goes to her house to force a proposal. She handles kicking him out with utter grace and her “I don’t deserve you” line is icing on the cake. But none of that changes how she feels. If anything, it enforces it. The village is all on Gaston’s side and at that point, her father has left for the science fair. He won’t be there forever, hence why she wants to find someone who will love her for her. To control her own destiny. To those who feel forced into their gender roles or being forced into a relationship that they don’t want whether by an agressive person or by peer pressure, Belle’s struggle is very relatable. Her independant spirit is also admirable as while she is dismayed with where she’s at, she still is able to smile and live her life as she wants. She’ defiant. She makes do with what she has and is able to handle what’s thrown at her with pure wit and ingenuity. Gaston nor anyone else can bring her down... at least, not until her wish for adventure ends up unexpectedly granted.

Before we progress forward, let’s pause to discuss Belle’s VA, Paige O’Hara. When Beauty and the Beast was beginning casting, O’Hara was already a rising Broadway actress and Disney happened to be seeking Broadway talent specifically. After several call-backs, she finally earned the part. She’s credited Howard Ashman as a huge help in guiding her to finding her voice as Belle, and she performs the role beautifully. She captures Belle’s independence yet playfulness very well, as well as her defiance and heartbreak in certain scenes. And her singing? Beautiful. Maybe not on par with Jodi Benson, but you can tell why she was a rising Broadway star. Today, O’Hara works mainly as a painter with Belle very much being one of her main muses. Sadly due to how much her voice has aged, she rarely plays Belle herself anymore, the role nowadays being primarialy done by VA Julie Nathanson. While she also does a lovely job at the part, O’Hara will always be the first to bring the character to life. Fortunteley she still shows a lot of love for the role and has attended multiple events and even got to reprise Belle at least one more time during Ralph Breaks the Internet. She had reprised Belle multiple times between various DTV films, TV appearances, and other events. So even if she is limited nowadays, her large body of work will live on forever.

Back to the film, Belle discovers that her father is in danger and ends up at the castle. We all know what happens at this point. Belle offers to take her dad’s place, Beast agrees, and Maurice is kicked out before Belle can so much as say goodbye. She’s distraught at this, and who can blame her? In a matter of hours, her life as she knew it was ripped away from her. Now instead of her old provincial life, she’s a prisoner in an enchanted castle ruled by an angry beast. Even when given the nicer room, she doesn’t feel that much better. She’s never going to get to see her father again or even know if he’s safely back home. She has no reason to believe that a rescue is coming. Some may say that she should try and get out, but isn’t she allowed this? To be upset and at a loss of what to do? It’s not like she just cries the whole time, she calms down enough to refuse to go to dinner despite the others insisting that she does. Even when Beast yells at her to do so, she refuses. She may be a prisoner, but she’s not going to play the victim. She’s going to be as she normally is; however she wants to be.

Soon, Belle’s able to calm down enough that she decides to go explore the castle. She is ultimateley a curious, adventurous spirit. Regardless of the circumstances, she can’t help but want to learn more about this new, strange place and these new figures that she’s encountered. You can tellt hat she’s warming up reatly during Be Our Guest where despite not actually getitng to eat anything, she is just havng far too much fun to care. It gets her spirits back up and now she can’t resist exploring more. Even if it risks The Beast’s wrath, one her curiosity has peaked, she can’t resist it. It’s a great strength, but also probably her biggest flaw. Despite having been told not to and knowing by now how Beast will react, she slips away from Cogsworth and Lumiere to go explore the West Wing. This ends with her seeing the trashed area, finding the Enchanted Rose, and getting yelled at by an enraged Beast. That is the last push needed to make Belle decide to escape.

So now that we’re at this point, we have to talk about one of the big topics that comes up when discussing this film: Stockholm Syndrome. To put it simply, Stockholm Syndrome is when the victim becomes emotionally attached to their aggressor and doesn’t want to leave them and tries to justify their actions. So when the vicitm is rescued, they may react negativly or even aggressively towards the rescuers in favor of the agressor. it’s a psychological response. This is actually a case where I was able to go to a professional to ask about it,: my own mother. My mom is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and currently works as a therapist. I’m fairly sure that she’s never treated anyone with Stockholm, but it is something that she knows of. I did ask her about if the film did glorify Stockholm Syndrome as some accuse it of. The gist of what she told me is... well, there’s enough in-film that either side can use it to prove their case. After all she DOES develop positive feelings towards Beast while a prisoner, so one can take the context and use it as an example, and same for the side who don’t agree. Ultimately Belle is a ficitonal character. We can’t sit her down and give her a psychoanalysis because she’s not real, and most of us doing these analysis’ aren’t therapists, psyologists, or mental health experts anyways. I’ll leave some sources below if you’d like further reading on the topic, but doing research isn’t the same as being a professional trained to go over these kinds of things. My mom said at most, Beast can be viewed as emotionally abusive, though it is because of his own trauma and he did ultimately improve to be a better person.

I fully agree that yes, if someone wants to make the arguent that the film promotes Stockholm Syndrome, they can. It’s their opinion, this came out in a diferent time than now where we take things like emotional abuse in cinema far more seriously, and in the end it’s a piece of fiction and people are free to view it however they wish. But the same also applies to me and in my opinion, no. Belle does NOT suffer from Stockholm Syndrome nor does the film glorify it. Now I am not an expert by any stretch of the imagination. This is strictly my opinion going off my understanding of it. I may be wrong and if that’s the case, I apologize. But from what I know and understand, the case in the film is not a straight forward situation like the various case studies in the real world. Plus I think we see enough of Belle being defiant and not feeling positivly towards Beast to see that she certainly hasn’t developed any psychological attachment towards him to cope with her situation. We’ll be seeing her feelings towards him change, but I’ll explain why I don’t feel that it counts down below. But again, I’m not an expert. This is just my understanding of it.

So... why the long tangent there? Well we’re now at the wolf attack scene. The turning point in the relationship. Belle’s effort to escape ends with her cornered by a pack of vicious wolves. Fortunateley, The Beast rescues her and drives the wolves away... but he is inured in the process and passes out. As I said in Beast’s character breakdown, he didn’t have to do it at that point since he’d given up, but he did so anyways. It showed that he isn’t a bad person. Something that Belle also saw. The Beast had been aggressive and rude to her throughout, and she had every good reason to continue on her way now that the path was clear. But Belle didn’t. She got Beast onto her horse and took him back to the castle, the closest shelter, to treat his wounds. Is this because she feels compelled to do so after forming a psychological dependency or attachment to him? No. We see as she treats his wounds that she still isn’t going to tolerate his temper and rudeness towards her. She stands up for herself and talks back at him until he calms down. She very much retains her independence. So then... why did she save him? Because Belle is a good-hearted person who just saw this seemingly hateful beast save her life when he didn’t have to. She isn’t the kind of person to leave an injured person to die. She did it out of kindness and gratitude as we see when she genuinely thanks Beast for saving her life. She’s seen a new side to him now, and it’s made her reconsider her earlier stance. Thus Belle remains at the castle.

The characteristics of Stockholm Syndrome include positive feelings towards the captor and belief of goodness in the captor, no real effort in escaping, learned helplessness, and feelings of pity to the captor. You can read the list and learn more here, and the link will also be with the sources. So you’re probably looking at that and going ‘...uuuggghhhh’ at the movie right now. Which fair enough. However let’s also look at where we are now. This is the part of the film where Beast makes an honest effort to improve himself. He’s nicer, trying to be more polite, and treats Belle as a person. She’s really not a prisoner anymore at this point and while mybe theposisbility of being human again is motivating Beast, for the most part I think it’s because he genuinely grows to like Belle. As for Belle, I think that she likes the castle. It’s enchanted and full of intrigue and mystery, just like in her books. It’s the escape form that provincial life in the village that she’s been longing for. It’s a temptation that she just can’t resist. The staff all like her and treat her kindly and no one tries to force her to be something that she isn’t. Beast especially loves Belle’s love of books, even giving her the huge library to repay her earlier kindness. Belle is able to be who she is and be around those who are accepting of her. Even fi for the staff it’s for ulterior motives, IDT that they’re faking liking having her around and Beast certainly isn’t. This isn’t really a straight-forward captive or abuse situaiton that Stockholm Syndrome would apply to in my opinion, especially since Belle never once succumbs to the Beast’s terms. She only respects and acts friendly with him when he does so towards her, and they are both clearly benefiting positivly from it. We know that Beast has no malicious intenitons regarding Belle and it’s Lumiere and co. insisting on the relaitonship happening moreso, and that’s because they want their humanity back so it adds a bit of complexity. It’s just not a straight forward case where we can easily apply Stockholm Syndrome to and get an accurate reading, at least in my opinion. She certainly is FAR from helpless.

So then let’s discuss Belle’s feelings for The Beast. We know how much Belle’s influence changed The Beast. But what about Belle? She really doens’t change during the movie, nor did she realy need to. She’s already confident about herself, likes herself, and she knows what she wants with her life. Sure her curiosity can get her into trouble, but otherwise she didn’t realy need a character arc like Beast did. What Belle needed was acceptance. To find someone who would like her for who she is and not see her as weird for it. Beast doesn’t at all view her that way. He enjoys being around her because she’s smart and independant and even gets her to read to him. It’s that kind of acceptance that Belle hasn’t recieved from anyone outside her father. The more that she sees Beast try to be better, the more that she sees how sweet and endeairng that he really is and she’s more than happy to help him. I think that seeing this kinder side bloom and that acceptance and even enjoyment of her is what makes Belle fall in love with him. It’s what helps make the ballroom scene so magical. Two people considered outsiders coming together and dancing the night way happily together. It’s beautiful, magical, and the perfect culminaiton in everything prior. They brought out the best in each other. Made each other happier in a way that no one else had ever done. They’re better now because of the other, and it’s just lovely to see.

But of course, we know what comes next. While happy with Beast and being at the castle, Belle still misses her father. When she sees him in the snow and horirbly sick, she’s distressed. Seing this, Beast allows he to go. Honestly I think that Belle could have left whenever she wanted at that point and Beast wouldn’thave fought it, but she was staying willingly at that point because she was happy. But her father needed her now. If she truly had Stockholm Syndorme, I don’t think that she would have done so. But she doesn’t really give it any kind of thought here. While sad to leave The Beast, she has alreayd mad eup her mind when told that she could go. She leaves to save her father, The Beast giving her the mirror and unbeknownst to her Chip tagging along. Belle fortunateley gets Maurice home safely... and just in time for Gaston to initiate his plan to have Maurice locked away. Belle is of course shocked and outraged and in a panic, uses the mirror to confirm The Beast’s existence. Despite her insistence that he isn’t a bad person, it’s too late. Gaston realizes that she’s in love with the ‘monster’ and we get the iconic line: “He’s no monster Gaston, you are.” Beast treated her like a person and improved himself from his more toxic behavior. Gaston treated her like the prey that he seeks during his hunts, refusing to let up until he’s won. Beast had even kept his word about letting Maurcie go and returned him to the village safely, and of course let Belle go to help him and even seemed to feel guilty for what he had done previously. Gaston though? He shows no guilt over trying to use Maurice to blackmail Belle. He continues his horrible behavior not only by forming the mob, but locking Belle and Maurice in their own cellar for simply speaking against it. Belle didn’t call Gaston a monster because she’s been conditioned or due to a coping reflex. It’s because Gaston is a genuinely despicable person while Beast grew to become a good person. She saw this and stood her ground as she always has, but this time at the point where she won’t tolerate it anymore. Which if it was your parent being shipped off to the insane asylum by some jerk just because they want to marry you, woudln’t you call them a monster in comparison?

So we reach the climax. Belle and Maurice arrive after Chip frees them with Belle rushing to get to Beast. She makes it and seeing her reignites Beast’s will to live... but he’s stabbed by Gaston. Belle saves Beast from falling over the roof, but there’s nothing that she can do to stop him from dying. She’s devestated, blaming herself for it. Beast’s final words to her are that at least he got to see Belle one last time, and if she hadn’t figured it out before, I think that this was when Belle realized that Beast loved her... and that she loved him. We knew that Beast certianly loved her but we needed it confirmed from Belle as the curse was still intact. As Beast lay motionless, Belle cries and at last confesses that yes, she does love him... just as the last rose petal falls. With that confession, the curse breaks and Beast is ressurected/becomes human again. Belle is shocked as she sees not The Beast standing before her, but Prince Adam. You can tell how confused she is. is this reallyt he same person that she loved? Adam confirms it and Belle looks into his eyes... and that’s all it takes for her to finally smile. yes, it is the same man that she had fallen in love with. They kiss,a nd the curse is truly broken. Everyone becomes human again,t he castle is restored to it’s original state, and Belle and Adam dance happily, free to live happily ever after.

Belle is a role model character. She’s there for girls to look up to, and I think that the amount of fans that she has proves that she succeeded. She encourages girls to be themselves. To be independant and not bend to social norms or pressure. To find love for themselves and not succumb tot he pressure of unwanted admirers or the pressure to marry them. Something that happens far too much in reality. She doesn’t change, but there was no reason for her to. As I said, Belle’s not one of my favorites. Not because I dislike her by any means. if anythign I like her much more now as an adult now that I have a stronger understanding of the film. I just have princesses that I like more, and that’s really it. I also don’t like how some insist that she’s the best Dsney Princess compared to her predecessors because as I hope I made clear in those reviews, the previous four pricnesses are NOT badly done. If anything, I think it’s more anti-femenist to use a woman to bash other women without just cause. Saying that belle is better because she didn’t fall in love witht he guy at first sight or didn’t sell her soul for a guy without caring to analyze those characters isn’t empowering, it’s saying that if you don’t act a certain way as a woman, you’re anti-feminist. Which is a terrible stance. No woman is the same and women shouldn’t be used against women in this kind of way. Regardless, that’s an issue with certain ‘critics’, not Belle herself. She’s a great character and someone that I can admire. Maybe not as much as others, but I can certainly see why she’s left such an impact on so many and not even just little girls. To many people of all kinds. Who could be upset about that?

Final Thoughts

Beauty and the Beast is a lovely film. Is it my favorite? No. I didn’t watch it all that much as a kid. As an adult I have a greater appreciation for it. It’s beautfully animated, it’s themes are well-protrayed and still relevant, the characters are memorable and fun, and it’s music is phenomenal. I can absoluteley see why this as the first animated film to ever be niminated for Best Picture. It’s a tragedy that it lost, but it still proved that animation very much had staying power as Walt proved all those years ago. And of course the film is the final testament of Howard Ashman. He may not have been part of the Disney Renaissance for long, but his contributions single-handedly changed the company and their films for the better. Even today this style of musical films is very much going strong even over 30 years since it began with The Little Mermaid. We lost Ashman far too soon, and who knows what amaizng things he could have one if he were still alive. We can never know the what ifs, but we can always appreciate what came during his lifetime. He, Kirk Wise, Gary Trousdale, Alan Menken, Don Hahn, various animators, and so many more did so much to bring this film to life, and it will forever stand as a true Disney Masterpiece.

The film was a giant success, and Disney wasn’t slowing down one bit. The very next year, another animated feature would come out. A film about a dashing street rat who found a magic lamp and unleashed a magical genie who would make all his dreams come true. But wait you may ask, isn’t this a Disney Princess retrospective? Yep. So why am I talking about a dashing hero? Well there is a princess in it, but she occupies a bit of a unique place in the line-up. She is the first and so far only Princess to not be the main charater in her film. But she still left a huge impact and i included in the main lineup so we are NOT leaving her out. So next time, come along as we enter a whole new world to discuss 1992’s Aladdin, and in particular Princess Jasmine.

Image Source: Animation Screencaps

Further Reading on Stockholm Syndrome: Healthline, Medical News Today, GoodTherapy, WebMD,

#callie reviews #disney princess reviews #beauty and the beast

[dani-luminae]

“Never Enough” song list

A list of songs slated to appear in my fic, Never Enough.

“Rewrite the Stars” from The Greatest Showman. Sang by Ben and Lia. [Ironic that it took so long for this song to appear, right? Considering the entire first fic is named after it.]

“Desert Moon,” a deleted song from Aladdin 2019. Sang by Lia and Erian. [No, your eyes are not deceiving you. Lia and Erian have a duet together, though in a different context than it appeared in the Aladdin movie.]

“Speechless” from Aladdin 2019. Sang by Lia. [Not a lot to say here.]

“Into the Unknown” from Frozen II. Sang by Uma. [Inspired by the Panic at the Disco version specifically, not the movie one.]

“How Does a Moment Last Forever” from Beauty and the Beast 2017. Sang by Ben. [Not a lot to say here either.]

“Endless Night” from The Lion King Broadway. Sang primarily by Lia. [There will be some lyric changes in this song, but I can’t wait to write it.]

“Finale/Reprise from The Nightmare Before Christmas. Sang by Ben and Lia. [This is cheating a bit. Technically, only the final portion of this song, Jack and Sally’s verse, appears.]

This is open to change as I find new songs or re-imagine certain parts!

@lady-of-the-spirit Just tagging you in case you’re interested!

[blackkudos]

Todrick Hall

Todrick Hall (born April 4, 1985) is an American singer, songwriter, actor, director, choreographer and YouTuber. He first gained national attention on the 9th season of the reality singing competition American Idol, where he made it to the semi-finals. Following this, he amassed a following on YouTube with multiple viral videos including original songs, parodies, and skits. A documentary series about his video-making process titled Todrick aired on MTV in 2015.

Starting with season 8, Hall became a resident choreographer on RuPaul's Drag Race, and occasional judge. From 2016 to 2017, Hall starred as Lola in Kinky Boots on Broadway. Later in 2017, he began appearances as Billy Flynn in Chicago on Broadway and the West End.

As a singer-songwriter he has released three studio albums, including the visual albums Straight Outta Oz (2016) and Forbidden (2018).

Early life

Todrick Hall was born in Plainview, Texas, on April 4, 1985. His family consists of his mother, father, one brother, and a stepfather. He knew he was different, he liked playing with dolls, and worried if they would still accept him if he turned out to be one of those gay people they made fun of on television. Hall began studying ballet at nine-years-old, and later worked with Fantasia in The Color Purple. He came out as gay to his family when he was fifteen; it took them a few years to accept. He also appeared in Disney's Beauty and the Beast, the Radio City Christmas Spectacular, and performed with Royal Caribbean, Holland America Line, and Walt Disney Parks and Resorts.

Career

2009–2010: American Idol

On August 24, 2009, Hall auditioned to the ninth season of American Idol in Dallas, Texas. He sang a self-composed song mentioning the judges – Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson, Kara DioGuardi, and guest judge Joe Jonas – to plead his case for inclusion in the program. All four judges approved of his participation; he went into Hollywood week and eventually the semi-finals. In the Top 24, he sang Kelly Clarkson's "Since U Been Gone" and in the Top 20, he performed Tina Turner's "What's Love Got to Do with It". He was eliminated in the Top 16 on 11 March 2010 after his rendition of Queen's "Somebody to Love;" he was one of four contestants eliminated in that round, and thus ranked between 13th and 16th overall.

2011–2013: Career growth and YouTube fame

Hall joined YouTube on May 27, 2006, and posted his first video to the site, a performance of "It's Hard to Say Goodbye", in 2008. In following years, his audience has grown considerably: as of June, 2019, Hall currently has 3.1 million subscribers on YouTube, and as of March 2018, his videos have been viewed 531.9 million times. Hall's videos include several of his own original songs and music videos, choreographed flash mobs for Ariana Grande and Beyoncé performed in an actual Target store, (the latter of which Beyoncé personally recognized Hall for), musical collaborations with Pentatonix, and personal updates.

In May 2011, he released a video audition for the third season of Glee titled "I Wanna Be on Glee", for possible inclusion in the show. Though the video was popular, Hall was not cast in the program.In November 2013, Virgin America produced a pop-music safety video directed by Jon M. Chu with music by Jean-Yves Decornet. Hall wrote the song and lyrics and starred in the video.

In December 2013, Hall released a Christmas album entitled Dear Santa, with covers of "This Christmas" and "Sleigh Bells", produced by wiidope as well as original songs "So Cold" and "SplitsOnXmasTrees".

2014–2015: Pop Star High and Todrick docuseries

From April 1 to May 13, 2014, Hall released an eight episode web series on his YouTube channel called Pop Star High. The series takes place in a world where all of the most famous Pop Stars of our day all went to high school together. The series portrays and parodies pop stars like Lady Gaga, Beyoncé, Britney Spears, Nicki Minaj, Christina Aguilera, Justin Timberlake, Taylor Swift, Ne-Yo, Kanye West, Eminem, Jay-Z, and Tyga, and draws on the tropes of high school comedy movies. The soundtrack for the series was released on April 1, 2014.

On October 22, 2014, MTV announced Todrick, a docuseries following Hall, would premiere in 2015. On 20 December 2014, Hall produced and appeared in a commercial for the series and featured other celebrities' holiday wishes. Eight episodes of the docuseries were ordered and aired throughout 2015. The soundtrack for the show was released on October 13, 2015.

In October 2015, he was picked as Elvis Duran's Artist of the Month and was featured on NBC's Today show hosted by Kathie Lee Gifford and Hoda Kotb and broadcast nationally where he performed live his single "Wind It Up".

2016–2017: Straight Outta Oz, Broadway, and RuPaul's Drag Race

Hall appeared as a guest judge on the eighth season of RuPaul's Drag Race; the episode, which featured a Wizard of Oz-inspired challenge, first aired on April 11, 2016. Hall reappeared as a full-time judge for RuPaul's Drag Race: All Stars 2 later in 2016 and again for the ninth season aired throughout 2017.

Along with Drag Race, Hall frequently appeared on Logo TV's game show Gay for Play Game Show Starring RuPaul alongside other celebrities. A second Season of Gay for Play is expected.

On June 23, 2016, Todrick self-released his second album, Straight Outta Oz. Straight Outta Oz is a visual concept album that uses the imagery of The Wizard of Oz to explore Todrick's own life and rise to fame. The project's first video was posted to YouTube on June 23, 2016 as well. Shortly thereafter, Hall announced the Straight Outta Oz Tour to promote the album. The tour originally ran between July 7, and August 12, 2016 in the United States and Canada.

The Straight Outta Oz Tour was interrupted by Hall's casting in the Broadway musical Kinky Boots. Hall starred as Lola, a drag queen cabaret performer. Hall's performance was well received by critics. He performed as Lola from November 1, 2016, to March 1, 2017.

The Straight Outta Oz Tour was revived in 2017 and ran between March 30, and June 5, in various North American, European, and Australian locations. It was accompanied by an expanded deluxe edition that included songs that were featured on the tour but not on the original version of the album. Additionally, the album included an extended version and new video for "Wrong Bitch" featuring Bob the Drag Queen, and a rerecorded version of Todrick's previous single "Low" featuring RuPaul.

In August 2017, he had a cameo as a back-up dancer in the music video for Taylor Swift's song, "Look What You Made Me Do".

From November 30, 2017, to January 14, 2018, played Billy Flynn in a limited engagement role in Chicago. During his tenure, the show had its best-grossing week in its 21-year Broadway history.

In December he released the documentary film Behind the Curtain about the production behind Straight Outta Oz. It was screened in select theatres and later released on home video. Later that month he had a guest appearance in the Bob's Burgers Season 8 episode "The Bleakening" as drag queen Miss Triple-Xmas (or Cleavage to Beaver) performing the song "Twinkly Lights". He also released a medley of covers of songs from the Pitch Perfect film series that was featured on the Pitch Perfect 3 Special Edition soundtrack.

2018–present: Forbidden, Haus Party & The Greatest Dancer

In March 2018 he announced his new visual album follow-up to Straight Outta Oz called Forbidden. It was released on March 27, 2018. To promote the album, Hall embarked on Forbidden: The Tour across the United States, Europe, Asia, Australia, and New Zealand.

On May 15, 2019, Hall revealed that he will be releasing a trilogy of extended plays to be released across the next six months. The first EP, Haus Party, Pt. 1, was released on May 23, 2019. The first single "Glitter" was released with the album pre-order on May 16, 2019. It also featured Hall's first big hit "Nails, Hair, Hips, Heels." The EPs will be supported by the Haus Party World Tour. While it was originally announced that Part Two would be released in July followed by Party Three in September 2019, the release of Haus Party, Pt. 2 was delayed to September 19, 2019.. It was supported by the singles "Wig", "Fag", and "Dripeesha" (featuring Tiffany Haddish). Part Three was originally announced to be released on October 30, 2019, then November 27. It was put up for pre-order on January 10, 2020 with two singles available, "Blue" and "Pink Dreams", and an announced release date of February 14, 2020. However, this was later pushed back to May 1, 2020.

On June 17, 2019, Hall appeared in the music video for singer-songwriter Taylor Swift's song "You Need to Calm Down"; he co-executive produced the video with Swift. On June 19, 2019, Hall announced that he will be returning to Broadway to play Ogie Anhorn in the musical Waitress opposite friend Colleen Ballinger, who will be making her Broadway debut as Dawn Williams from August 20 until September 15.

In August 2019 he joined the panel of Dance Captains for the second series of The Greatest Dancer alongside the other Dance Captains Cheryl, Oti Mabuse and Matthew Morrison. The series aired on BBC One in January 2020.

Artistry

Hall is a baritenor with a soulful, expressive voice, including falsetto; in addition to a singer, Hall is also a rapper. The genre of his works include R&B, pop, hip hop, neo-soul, funk, and musical theatre. Many of his lyrics include elements of social commentary, such as gun violence in and against black communities in "Water Guns" (featuring Jordin Sparks), acceptance of interracial relationships in "Color" (featuring Jay Armstrong Johnson) and queer culture; Hall writes and produces much of his own music with Jeeve Ducornet and wiidope. Hall also posts musical tributes to his favorite musical artists such as Beyoncé, Rihanna, and Taylor Swift. These tributes feature elaborately-produced mashups of the artists' songs sung by Hall.

Hall's music videos often feature extravagant production value not typically associated with artists outside major labels. Hall's videos often include bespoke costumes and urban fashion, elaborate sets, and extensive choreography, much of which is designed or created by Hall himself. He frequently directs his own videos as well. As part of his style, many of Hall's music videos include drag as a central component, either featuring Hall in drag himself or famous drag queens including RuPaul, Bob the Drag Queen, Willam Belli, and Alaska Thunderfuck, among others.

Personal life

He came out as gay at the age of fifteen.

#04/04

[everydaydwmaheadcanons]

Favorite Disney Movies

Maka: You start playing “Baby Mine,” you get this girl SOBBING. Absolute favorite is probably Beauty and the Beast, but is also a big fan of more underrated movies such as Atlantis and Princess and the Frog.

Soul: He won’t admit it, but Alan Menken was a huge influence to this boy’s childhood. Beauty and the Beast is his favorite movie, but his favorite soundtrack is Broadway’s Newsies. 

BlackStar: Tarzan and Lion King. You play those songs and you get him screaming the lyrics. The only exception is “You’ll Be in My Heart.” Rumor has it he actually cries at that.

Tsubaki: Mulan, Moana, and Tangled are her top three movies. Finds the themes of finding yourself and what you’re capable of being really inspirational.

Kid: Nightmare Before Christmas, without question. Though he also enjoyed The Great Mouse Detective. Don’t tell anyone, but he also has a soft spot for Winnie the Pooh from when he was growing up.

Liz: Everyone nags at her for this, but she’s a sucker for High School Musical and other Disney Channel “films”. She redeems herself by enjoying Enchated. Also has a giant soft spot for the Tigger Movie. Especially now that she’s found her family in all of her friends. 

Patty: She loves Who Framed Roger Rabbit, and both Goofy Movies! Blasts Powerline songs to get everyone hyped—it usually works where everyone is confused but loving it.

Crona: Knows very little about company, but really connects with Tangled. Kinda terrified of Mother Gothel, but sees Rapunzel having a lot in common with Maka.

Kim: Rather fond of Fantasia and Peter Pan. There just seems to be a bit more “magic” in those films that she finds comforting.

Jackie: Mary Poppins. No doubt about it. She also really likes the more recent “sequel” too, and often hums “Trip a Little Light Fantastic” when going out with Kim on missions.

Kilik: Princess and the Frog, Aladdin, and Lion King. Absolutely loves the Broadway version of Lion King for such a unique, cultural way they showed it.

#soul eater #maka albarn #soul eater evans #blackstar #tsubaki nakatsukasa #death the kid #liz thompson #patty thompson #crona gorgon #kim diehl #jaqueline o’lanter dupre #kilik rung #Mod🌸Lilli

[dearevanhansenofficial]

10 QUESTIONS WITH DEAR EVAN HANSEN LONDON’S HEIDI HANSEN—REBECCA McKINNIS

With an abundance of stage and screen credits under her belt, including Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, you might be surprised to learn that Rebecca is also a star when it comes to opening oysters. Her favorite London spot, however, is not a seafood house, but rather the coffee shop where she’s been a regular for nearly five years. Read on to find out what it is.

1.) Where can people follow you on social media?

Instagram: @bexmckinnis Twitter: @RebeccaMcKinni6

2.) Where did you grow up?

Chelmsford in Essex and Kilmacolm in Scotland..half and half until I was 17.

3.) What’s your favourite line / lyric from DEAR EVAN HANSEN?

There are so many amazing lines from the show…“you will be found” is just beautiful...a message of hope and hope is everything. However, if I’m being honest I’d have to say “my sister’s hot” from Connor/Jared (“Sincerely, Me”) it makes me laugh every time!

4.) What’s the first show you saw (West End, Tour, Broadway, etc.)?

It was Miss Saigon at the Drury Lane—just awe inspiring...the helicopter!!!

5.) What are you currently binge-watching on Netflix?

“This is Us”—it’s not Netflix but it’s just awesome! It’s like therapy—I cry every episode!

6.) What’s your favourite app and why?

Oh my goodness...Calm!! Calm app has meditations and beautiful music that sends me to sleep like a dream! And my daughter too!! I couldn’t live without it!

7.) What’s your favourite song to sing in the shower?

Errr…“I Dreamed a Dream.” Don’t judge!! It’s good to warm up the old voice!!

8.) What’s your go-to London spot?

My lovely local coffee shop in Streatham. I’ve been going for nearly 5 years..flat white with almond milk!

9.) What’s a hidden talent you have that people might not know about?

I can make my eyeballs shake REALLY fast...strong  eye muscles apparently…

10.) What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given?

“Try to be happy just being you...you are enough.”

#dear evan hansen #DEHLondon #DEHWestEnd #10Questions

[ljaesch]

"You Belong To Me" was a single released to the fan club on February 17, 2000. The lyrics are about someone who is obsessed with someone, to the point of telling them that "you belong to me." I love the sound of this song, but...

... <deep sigh> It was likely inspired by something that happened to Debbie personally. From the mid-1990's until somewhere around the mid-2000's, I was part of an online Debbie Gibson fan community that was a mailing list for discussing Debbie and her career. There was one person in particular who was kind of "off" and seemed to be more obsessed with Debbie than the other members. They became more aggravated as Debbie was trying to transition into being an adult, and it seemed like they wanted her to remain a "wholesome teenager." By 1998, this person's posts had become more worrisome, culminating with them saying they were going to New York to confront her after an appearance on Broadway as Belle in Disney's Beauty and the Beast.

In May 1998, this person did show up and was arrested by police for aggravated harassment. News reports at the time revealed that this individual had been harassing Debbie with letters, e-mail messages, and phone calls. An article from the time said that this individual had sent more than 50 emails over a six month period saying that they would hold Debbie accountable if she "didn't change her image."

I will not name this person, as they already have some internet notoriety from this incident. Sadly, when I got involved with the online anime fandom in the late 2000's, I found this person's name popping up in that fandom as well, with similar disturbing behavior being reported on in that fandom.

oh oh ooh ooh ooh

Here's what I wanna say But I can't say it face to face So I'll write it, hope it makes it way to the radio waves Here's what I wanna do Nothin' less than kidnap you Take you away to a far off place, leave for love Face it!

You belong to me (ooh) You should be here now (ooh) It's just the way that it should be - oh oh Leave your past behind Your future is with mine I see what you can't see You belong to me

oh!

Crazy scheme in my head Going stark raving mad Open my eyes to realize that I was feeling it bad But it's more than a physical thing I hear the bluebirds sing Whether near or far, it's who you are That's got me on this string

You belong to me You should be here now It's just the way that it should be - oh oh Leave your past behind Your future is with mine I see what you can't see You belong to me

Try to talk it down, I know better Cannot take away from the truth But believe in nothin', baby Like I believe in me and you

oh oh hmm hmm hmm

Leave your past behind Your future is with mine I see what you can't see You belong to me (ooh!)

You belong to me (ooh ooh) You should be here now (ooh) It's just the way that it should be - oh oh (It's just the way that it should be!) (oh oh) Leave your past behind Your future is with mine (oh) I see what you can't see You belong to me

#music #debbie gibson #deborah gibson

[magicwrappedupinpixiedust]

My Thoughts on Aladdin (2019)

... meh?  I didn’t think it was the worst live-action remake (Maleficent), and I didn’t think it was the best.  There were definitely things I liked about it but a lot of things that I hated about it. It was just... mediocre.

Possible spoilers under the cut

The Good:

The backgrounds and sets were amazing.   The Cave of Wonders looked just like the original, and Agrabah looked so bright and lively.  I praised Beauty and the Beast for its set design and this was a step above that. Possibly several steps.

And the costumes!  Oh my gosh the COSTUMES!  I loved that Genie’s human outfit took so much inspiration from the Broadway version, and that Aladdin and Jasmine had their movie outfits taken up a notch.

Jasmine in particular is my favorite updated classic princess dress so far.  Aurora’s was hideous, Belle’s was ridiculously out of place and hideous, and Cinderella’s looked nice but didn’t look like Cinderella.  Jasmine’s resembled her classic teal outfit but with the gold embellishments and that awesome peacock train.  If her park look looked more like than then whatever they did to her, I’d be a happy girl.

Jafar was really really hot

Actual Middle Eastern actors in Middle Eastern roles!  Yay!

The autotune wasn’t nearly as distracting as in BatB, and the actors could actually like... sing.

Jasmine isn’t defined by her relationship to men which is cool.  She’s a lot more her own character here.

“Prince Ali, handsome is he, Ali Ababwa...”

The new Arabian Nights was kind of a jam

And the new One Jump Ahead was a really fun action sequence.  

Razoul/Hakim and the Sultan are actual characters whaaaaat

Seriously.  Jafar.  Gorgeous man.

The Bad

So much conspicuous CGI.  Soooo much.  Rajah in particular looked terrible, as did Genie’s blue form.  In fact blue Genie was so bad I could see Will Smith looking anywhere but at Mena Massoud.  It was rough.

Okay, I know no one is ever, ever going to be Robin Williams ever in a million years.  But the least Will Smith could do is try to bring something to the table other than just acting like Will Smith.  And I like Will Smith.  But it doesn’t feel like he’s acting here.  He’s just playing himself.

There were a few references to animated Genie that made me cringe.  C R I N G E.

There’s no pizzazz to Friend Like Me, although the art style change is better executed here than Be Our Guest was.  When that song feels lifeless, it’s a problem.

The ending of Prince Ali felt forced and awkward and what was that line about Jasmine oh my god I’m dead inside.

They were trying SO HARD with Jasmine.  SO HARD.  I almost felt bad for the writers.  Yeah, it’s cool that she’s well-red and wants to be Sultan, but they were pushing so hard for the girl power thing that it was almost physically painful.  It’s like they were screaming at the viewer that they’re better feminists than those silly people in 1992 and it got bad.

Dahlia contribued nothing to the plot except “oh look we have more than one woman in the story!  Are we progressive yet?”

I like Jafar better when he’s not talking, that is what I’m saying.

Still hot though

They cut Prince Ali Reprise and that is a travesty.

SPEECHLESS.  Okay, on its own merits, it’s actually a pretty good song.  But it does not fit here.  It wasn’t written by Menken and Rice, and it really, really shows.  And the fact that time stops so we can see just what a Strong Female Character Jasmine has become through these incredibly generic lyrics is painful.  Even Walt said a song always keep the story moving, and this one literally, actually stops the plot dead by freezing time.  It’s really stupid.

Jafar.  He’s really, really hot, but he doesn’t feel like Jafar.  He does the soft-spoken, slithery, calm, cool, collected thing decently, but... that’s all he does.  And the Jafar I grew up with had absolutely no chill once he didn’t have to pretend to be a trusted advisor.  The last third of the original movie has him cackling around spouting bad puns and having the time of his life.  This time, he’s just... cold.  Even as a Genie, he’s doing this weird whisper.

#aladdin 2019 #aladdin spoilers

[perfectlypattimurin]

EPISODE 127- PATTI MURIN

January 20, 2019

Patti Murin is an accomplished stage and television actress. Known for her acclaimed Broadway performances, Murin currently stars as ‘Anna’ in the Broadway production of Disney’s "Frozen." With lyrics written by Kristen Anderson-Lopez, Frozen is the timeless tale of a fearless princess who sets off on a journey alongside a rugged iceman, his loyal pet reindeer, and a naive snowman to find her estranged sister. Murin made her Broadway debut in 2007’s "Xanadu," in which she played the roles of Euterpe, Siren, and Thetis. Based on the film of the same name, "Xanadu" centers on a Greek muse who is sent to Earth to inspire Californians during the 1980s. Four years later, Murin played the lead of ‘Lysistrata Jones’ in 2011’s "Lysistrata Jones," a modern day adaptation of Aristophanes’ "Lysistrata." Soon after, Patti starred as ‘Glinda’ in the national tour of Broadway’s renowned play "Wicked." In addition to her performances on Broadway, Patti Murin has also starred in a wide range of off-Broadway theatrical productions. Most recently, Murin starred as ‘Linda Mason’ in "The Muny’s Holiday Inn" and Susie in "Lady, Be Good." At The Muny, she has also starred as ‘Roxie Hart’ in "Chicago" and ‘Ariel’ in "The Little Mermaid." In New York, Murin starred as ‘Princess’ in The Public Theater’s production of "Love’s Labour’s Lost." She also played the role of ‘Amber’ in The Cape Playhouse’s production of "Hairspray" and ‘Sharpay Evans’ in The Atlanta Theater of the Stars’ production of "High School Musical." Other theater credits include "Fly By Night," Jane Austen’s "Emma," "Band Geeks," "Give It Up!," "White Noise," "Princesses," "Glimpses of the Moon," "Beauty and the Beast," "Annie Get Your Gun," and "Crazy for You." On the small screen, Murin has starred as recurring character ‘Dr. Nina Shore’ in NBC’s “Chicago Med,” a medical drama set in the ER department of Chicago’s Gaffney Medical Center. She has also starred as ‘Ana’ in USA’s “Royal Pains.” Additionally, Patti Murin played the recurring role of ‘Ellen’ on ABC’s “All My Children.” Murin has also sung the national anthem at numerous sporting events, including a New York Mets game, Philadelphia Soul Football, and an event at Syracuse University. Patti Murin currently resides in New York City.

#patti murin #frozen #broadway #frozen broadway #cast of frozen #wicked #lysistrata jones #chicago med #nina shore #dr nina shore #high school musical #hair spray #twitter #podcasts