Ahhhh I’m the anon that was converted into a Sugu stan hello!!🥺 Oh my goodness thank you so so much for your darling response it made me feel so giddy and happy to know that it met you well!🥺 Thank you so so much for taking the time to respond to everything, I was having such a lovely time reading through your response!😭😭 Your Sugu is just so lovely and wife coded and any day where I can’t hold his hand is agony and suffering😔
And not to ping pong from topic to topic but oml mer! thoughts😳 I dont think this would necessarily align with what you may have in mind for your Sugu fic, but I am such a goblin for the trope of childhood friends human and mer that have a chance/meaningful encounter in their youth only to reunite later in life and let the story go from there that is??? Good food😳
And slightly piggybacking off of that ^^^ imagine a young reader strolling along the beach and exploring much farther out than what their fam/guardians/ whomever would appreciate, and lo and behold they see this poor looking creature washed up and tangled in fishers net along the beach. Stepping closer it dawns on them that this is a mer, and judging by the state it’s in, weak and sluggish movement, shallow breathing, it doesn’t have much of a fighting chance if it isn’t freed ASAP. So they take a pocket knife or a sharp shell or something and gets to work and starts sawing through the net and things get ROUGH. Suddenly springing to life out of a last ditch defense mer!Sugu just starts flailing and hissing, swiping with nails/claws and baring fangs with frenzied anger, managing to make a clean cut somewhere on the reader, be it on their upper cheek or their hand or forearm.
All the while reader is doing their best to say soothing words and convey that everything will be okay. Eventually Suguru is freed and more or less scurries back into the water, but before diving underneath the water he takes a moment and stills, taking a good long look back at the human child knocked flat on their butt, sitting on the sand staring right back, who couldn’t have been any older than him. Then he thinks of his elders, the ones who had told him to avoid humans above all else because humans never bring anything good to their kind. Before the reader can scramble to their feet or say anything else sugu swims away and that’s that. Years pass and any thought of the encounter can more or less be brushed aside as a hazy summer childhood memory where the readers imagination just got a bit too lively. Merpeople exist, but really and truly, what are the chances of the reader having such a unique encounter? It is a memory coded as fantasy.
I have no more thoughts but okay just imagine😳 reader returns to that beach years later and somehow meets with Sugu again, and as cheesy or unrealistic as it sounds they both have a moment where it just clicks that despite it all they have met before. Suguru remembers a kind human child, his one man scuffle as an act of defense and scraping his hero. He recognizes that long healed graze of a claw, he knows who this is.
Okay that was a doozy but I promise! From here on out everything will be much more bite size and to the point ^^;
I have a question, in the world you’re writing, do you think there’s any type of magic or sorcery? If so, do any mer have the ability to harness and use it? Furthermore, would Sugu be able to, and if so, what are the extent of his powers? It’s just a fun thought considering so many mer! in media do have at least some type of it, and the idea of a mer!Sugu having some type of power is😳 incheresting😳 (also entirely unrelated but I’ve been thinking about mer! themed nicknames and the only one I can remember off the top of my head is ‘Sweetshark’ being a play off of ‘Sweetheart’. Who said that neways)
Oh! And another thought! Say that the Reader maybe catches a nasty cold or is just generally feeling under the weather and can’t visit Sugu like they normally do, how is Suguru holding up? Does he just assume that they up and left him, the one human he’s decided to open his heart up to? Or is he more concerned about their safety, wondering where they are and if they’re okay? What is his reaction when they finally return?
And not to change the topic out of nowhere but!! Oh my goodness yes!!! Being in a fandom that has so much smut, it’s so very comforting and nice to have a sfw corner to vibe and chat in! (Not that there is ever anything wrong with writing or enjoying smut ofc!) Thinking of these characters and how they would treat an aroace reader is so so comforting and it really warms my heart! stsg would be so sweet and patient!🥺 (And don’t worry! You weren’t being pushy or assuming anything, as someone who does fall on the aroace spectrum it is endlessly refreshing to see these ideas and how these characters would handle and treat someone like that! They’re the ultimate sweeties and would be so good to anyone, but for someone who is aroace?? Idk it just works so so well!🥺)
And! Thank you so so much I would be honored to go by a lil anon tag, I just get shy and sometimes don’t really send things in ^^; So if that isn’t any trouble and it would be okay/ if it isn’t taken, would it be possible to go by 🍓 anon? Or if that’s taken, maybe 🍎 anon? <:) Regardless, thank you so so much for your time and all of your kind words and thoughts, they mean they absolute world and then some to me!🥺 I hope you have a wonderful rest of your day/night!🥺
HELLOOOOO 🍓 ANON……. the perfect emoji for someone so sweet !! <333
pls i can’t thank u enough for sending me such a heartfelt ask, it rlly did warm my heart sooo so much :’3 AND I’M SOOO OVERJOYED THAT U THINK MY SUGU IS WIFECODED??? that’s all i want him to be tbh …. he’s a girlfriend he’s a Mother he’s a wife <3333 etc etc. u get it !!!
AND OHHHH 🍓 ANON ………….. this entire ask was just a goldmine of ideas….. would u believe me if i said i was planning for the suguru fic to follow that plotline almost exactly 😭😭😭 not exactly a childhood encounter au, but something very very similar!!! basically the same function……. and when reader and sugu meet for the first time i was also imagining him being hissy and defensive and reader cutting the net w a switchblade from their pocket, murmuring sweet reassurances to him…. WE’RE SOOO IN SYNC it’s the mer!sugu hivemind fr!! i adore ur take on this au, any variation of the childhood friends trope is a favorite of mine :33 and the scar is so genius too!! i think the idea of meeting a mermaid during one of your childhood summers is just theee loveliest concept ever 🥺🥺
BUTTT OKOK… onto ur questions!! they were soooo fun to think abt and answer, tysm for asking!! it rlly helps me when it comes to figuring out mer!sugu’s character, merfolk lore, etcetc :>
I have a question, in the world you’re writing, do you think there’s any type of magic or sorcery? If so, do any mer have the ability to harness and use it? Furthermore, would Sugu be able to, and if so, what are the extent of his powers?
GREATTT QUESTION…. this is something i’ve thought abt before when answering another ask!! basically, i imagine the mermaids in this au as being kind of sinister and siren-like, with an ability similar to hypnosis!! when they speak and sing, they can lure humans into a false sense of security, beckon them closer, dull their senses… etc etc. that’s basically all though!! i do also think they’d be very powerful and ferocious…. i have another piece of lore planned but i haven’t completely figured it out yet !! what i will say is that these mermaids are almost kinda. werewolf like 😭😭 in the sense that they change with the cycles of the moon !! :33
oh and and !! obv suguru is one of the more powerful mermaids….. definitely overwhelmingly good at using his voice, and also just very physically strong and heavy. you are NOT making it out of an encounter alive lol. (his only weakness is his tender heart <33)…
AAAA AND THE MER PETNAMES PAGDJSHJS… SOOO CUTE ….. SWEETSHARK ….. 😭😭😭 i NEED reader to call suguru that. i think they would also call him their little fishy <333 maybe he’d get back at them by calling them his little silly seal ……… sigh . their dynamic is so cute to me 😔😔
Oh! And another thought! Say that the Reader maybe catches a nasty cold or is just generally feeling under the weather and can’t visit Sugu like they normally do, how is Suguru holding up? Does he just assume that they up and left him, the one human he’s decided to open his heart up to? Or is he more concerned about their safety, wondering where they are and if they’re okay? What is his reaction when they finally return?
I LOVEEEEE THIS IDEA SO MUCH and my answer also ties in to some other anon asks hehe :33 in this au mermaids can move on land, but obv it’s risky and depending on the terrain it’s pretty tough….. reader lives very close to the beach and mer!sugu is super flexible, so i think that in this scenario he waits for a while, gets impatient, gets grumpy, and THEN gets worried. he’s trying so hard to act like he doesn’t care but we all know reader is his special little human :((( so after a while he’s like. what if they got hurt? what if they collapsed from lack of nutrients??? (for some reason i picture mer!sugu fixating a lot on reader’s eating habits… making sure they’re always well fed….. it’s part of the mermaid courting process i think)
…. so he ends up flopping his way over to their little house, carrying a bunch of raw fish and herbs <333 all worried and grumpy bc they left him hanging and he was forced to realize that he actually enjoys their company a Lot. which is very embarrassing for him. but as soon as he sees them all delirious and weak he probably tries his best to take care of them 🥺🥺 he’s not good at it LOL but he does have some experience …. and he’s very soft for them. can’t bear to be too snarky when they’re in pain or distress :((( he’s a sweetheart… a sweetshark even……….. lulls them to sleep with his voice and watches over them until they’re better. 🥺
ohhhh 🍓 anon this was so fun ……. tysm for sending ur thoughts my way and for being so sweet!!! u made me think a bunch abt this au and i appreciate it sm <333 ANDDDD FELLOW ASPEC HEHE it’s so good to have u here!!! stsg really would be so patient and kind…….. 🥺🥺 i might’ve said it before but i really am so glad the concept can bring u some comfort!! it does the same to me too :’3
ALSO before i forget….. pls don’t ever feel worried abt being shy / sending stuff in !!! there’s never, and i mean absolutely never, any pressure to!!! i’m the kind of person who can randomly disappear every now and then too so i totally get it 😭😭 the anon tag is just so that i recognize u (and bc it’s cute hehe).. but pls know that you never ever have to send anything in unless you want to!! doesn’t matter if it’s now or in a month or in a couple years. so pls don’t worry abt it at all <33 !!
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more info, via a couple of reviews:
"Is this the best, most exhilarating, most close-to-perpetual dancing ever to grace the Goodspeed Opera House stage?
It certainly could be.
The new stage adaptation of “Summer Stock” at the East Haddam theater has plenty to recommend it in terms of the canny script and the hummable songs. But it’s the dancing that leaves the biggest impression.
The show is jam-packed with choreography from Donna Feore, who also directs, that is thrillingly executed by the cast.
We’re talking: Gravity-defying kicks. Head-spinning turns. Male dancers lifting and tossing and catching the female ones. It runs the gamut from Cossack-dance athleticism to soft shoe grace, tap precision to Lindy hop energy.
How the cast manages to sing after executing these (literally) breathtaking numbers, I have no idea.
And how do they make it through two performances on some days? Amazing.
Also amazing: the fact that they do all this on Goodspeed’s small stage without making the space feel cramped.
So, yes, the dancing is phenomenal. But there’s more to the show than that.
This stage version of “Summer Stock” — which is enjoying its world premiere at Goodspeed — is inspired by the 1950 MGM movie starring Judy Garland and Gene Kelly. Writer Cheri Steinkellner, though, has reimagined the piece in many ways, making it better, stronger and propelled by a more modern sensibility. (Steinkellner’s writing credits range from “Cheers” to the Broadway adaptation of “Sister Act.”)
The foundational story, though, remains the same: A no-nonsense young woman named Jane is trying to save her family farm. Her actress sister (named Gloria in the version at Goodspeed) brings her compatriots to the farm to rehearse a show. Jane first spars with and then starts falling for Gloria’s beau Joe, the production’s director.
Steinkellner has also changed up the score, to great effect. While some tunes from the movie remain, she has pulled others that are in the public domain (such as “Accentuate the Positive,” “Paper Moon” and “It Had to Be You”), and she has woven them perfectly into various plot points and important emotional moments.
As director, Feore makes sure the whole enterprise has a dynamic spirit. It’s a story and a production that brims with optimism and cheerfulness.
Leading the cast is Corbin Bleu, who became famous with his work in “High School Musical” and has gone on to star in several Broadway shows, as Joe. Bleu is a true, and truly talented, triple-threat. He has a warm, welcoming presence as an actor; he also brings an authority to Joe so you believe he’s someone the actors respect and will follow. Bleu’s singing is strong and lustrous, and his dancing — particularly his tremendous tap ability — is … wow.
Arguably the biggest scene-stealer here is Veanne Cox, as the wealthy, snooty owner of huge property surrounding Jane’s. The way she trills dialogue can turn anything into a punchline. She can wave her arms about as her character repeats “l’amour” and generate audience laughs. When her character falls for the egoistic actor Montgomery Leach (played by J. Anthony Crane with Barrymore flair), Cox burbles with girlish romantic giddiness.
Danielle Wade does her own take on the Judy Garland role. She gives Jane a swagger and a tough façade that reveals a more human self during the course of the story. Wade’s most important feature is her voice, which is potent whether she’s finessing a ballad or powering through a big number. While she can’t compete with Garland’s renowned version of “Get Happy” (who could?), Wade does a good job in the number — choreographed and costumed in an homage to the original — that serves as the culmination of the production.
Arianna Rosario gets to play an interesting arc at Gloria. At first, Gloria seems to be a blithe, self-centered actress, but she later shows that she is quite the problem-solving producer. Rosario makes the transformation believable, as if Gloria is finally letting her real self come through.
The scenic design by Wilson Chin suggests the various elements of a Connecticut River Valley farm in the 1950s while still allowing room for the cast to burst into all of those big dance numbers. And the costume design by Tina McCartney provides a fun and functional take on country clothing of the era.
I will say that the second act could be tightened up (we don’t need to see so many beats of the rehearsal process), but, in total, this “Summer Stock” is sensational." [source]
(hooray for most directly explaining gloria's overall arc)
and the next review:
"A throwback to the golden age of Broadway and movie musicals, "Summer Stock" is a timeless, inspiring song-and-dance tale of good deeds, fairy tale showbiz, classic romance and backstage intrigue played out to such dazzling effect, you want to freeze frame it, take it home with you and watch it over and over again for pure fun and a let's-put-a-smile-on-your-face endorsement.
This is Goodspeed Musicals at its best - old-fashioned musical entertainment designed to deliver by the bucket's load, stir the senses, rhythmically intoxicate you and dance up a continual storm of good cheer that's guaranteed to leave you breathless.
Animated.
Airborne.
Magical.
Sweet-natured.
Fresh-faced.
Dance happy.
It's all here, wrapped up in shiny gold ribbons and signature colors that complement and complete the picture with a technicolor flourish, a big bang and an internal logic that flows with appropriate style, stamina, full command and intent.
Adapted to the stage by Cheri Steinkellner, "Summer Stock" replays that popular let's- put-on-a-show conceit where everything rests of the big opening night, the box-office intake, the big kiss between the leading man and the leading lady and how a complete unknown saves the day right before the final fadeout.
Here, struggling Connecticut farmer Jane Falbury decides to let her actress sister Abigail and her actor friends from New York use the family barn as a rehearsal space for their brand-new Broadway bound musical in exchange for doing the daily farm chores to raise enough money to keep the business from going completely under.
One slight problem.
During rehearsals, Jane finds herself falling for the show's handsome director, Joe Ross, who, happens to be engaged to the show's leading lady - her sister Abigail.
Staging "Summer Stock," director Donna Feore ("Chicago," "Billy Elliot," "A Chorus Line"), who doubles as choreographer, creates a loveable, intoxicating show that reels you in, grabs hold of you until the final curtain and lets you fall in love with every little detail, surprise, plot twist, joke, visual gag, one-liner and tilt of her jolly agenda while she articulates every element of this musical story with thrust, warmth, spin and splendid articulation.
Directorially, she pulls it off spectacularly.
No wrong moves here as "Summer Stock" catches fire with a spark, a gusto, a shine and a 1950s mentality infused with plenty of imagination, originality, style and flair. More importantly, the production never loses sight of its origins, its functional plotting and its love of musicals of yesteryear despite well-intentioned doses of kitsch, takeaway humor, giddy backchat and story arcs right out of the MGM library of backlot moviemaking.
Feore, free spirit that she is, fuels the musical with a sharpened wit and sentiment that works especially well as does her decision to let "Summer Stock" remain rooted in the period from whence it came in terms of staging, development, expression and interaction.
Moving from screen to stage," "Summer Stock" retains only four songs from the 1950 MGM musical. The addition of several new songs to the original version of the score turns the two-act musical into more of a showstopping event and adds clarity, luster and vintage spin to its already proven material, its let's launch into another song and dance routine blueprint and its firm grasp on characterization, story evolution and its happily ever after conclusion.
At Goodspeed, there are 28 important, recognizable, smartly placed musical numbers. They are: "Get Happy," "Happy Days Are Here Again/I Want to Be Happy," "Accentuate the Positive," "I'm Always Chasing Rainbows," "Always," "Always (reprise)," "It's Only a Paper Moon," "The Best Things in Life Are Free," "Dig for Your Dinner," "Me and My Shadow," "Howdy Neighbor, Happy Harvest," "Red Hot Mama," " 'Til We Meet Again," "You Wonderful You," "June Night," "Some of These Days," "Joe's Dance," "I'm Always Chasing Rainbows (reprise)," "It All Depends on You," "Always (reprise)," "Everybody Step," "Lucky Day," "How Ya Gonna Keep 'Em Down on the Farm," "Hinky-Dinky Parlez Vouz," "It Had to Be You," "Get Happy (reprise)" and "You Wonderful You (Finale)."
Musical director Adam Souza ("42nd Street," "Cabaret," "Next to Normal," "A Grand Night for Singing," "Because of Winn Dixie," "Rags") grabs hold of the "Summer Stock" score and allows it to breathe, gesticulate, excite, envelop and rhapsodize with the golden age sentimentality of MGM movie musicals and the timeless, larger-than-life spirit of old Broadway. Here, every song matters. Every song is important. Every song travels down memory lane. Every song is tuned to the max with sweet, centered, warm-heartedness. Every song fulfills its intended purpose.
All of this is complemented by the strong, flavorful sound of Souza's orchestral team, all of whom share his tremendous sense of theatricality, musical interlude, impassioned communication and delight of the actual musical itself. They are: David Uhl (bass), Sal Ranniello (percussion), Liz Baker Smith (reed 1), Andrew Studenski (reed II), Travis Higgins III (trumpet) and Matthew Russo (trombone). As with other Goodspeed musicals, Souza doubles as conductor and keyboardist.
As "Summer Stock" zings and pops, pretty music every song unfolds with a contagious orchestral musical glow, matched by the splendid musicality of the entire cast who address the catchy, homespun music and lyrics with perfect harmony, rhythm, phrasing and nostalgic commitment. These elements heighten the on-stage mode of the production, its progression from Act I to Act II, its send offs, its pastiche and its electrifying, barn-raising influence and thwack.
As with any big stage musical, choreography is key to a production's success, its fluidity of form, its artistic expression and its accompanying dance routines. Here, Feore, as choreographer, gives "Summer Stock" a highly personal touch of invigoration and speedy excitement that is tipped and generated with wonderfully elongated inspiration, stamina and determination. This is star quality choreography that peaks, shines and tilts with clever build ups, catchy dance steps and bold, concentrated rhythms, moves and beats that joyfully celebrate 1950's musicals in all their technicolor glory.
As storyteller and dance interpreter, she brings great dimension and scope to the piece using techniques, styles, descriptions and an enriched canvas of thoughts and ideas that make their mark most engagingly. Everything that happens on the Goodspeed Musicals stage has been beautifully blocked, rehearsed and staged with such thrust and individuality, no two dance numbers are alike. In fact, once "Summer Stock" catches fire, there's no stopping it.
Creating a freshly minted fusion of moods, tableaus, lifts, twirls and swirls, Feore pays homage to the actual vintage look and mindset of the musical, its dance-friendly art form and its free-flowing feel of excitement and exhilaration.
Hands pop. Arms move heavenward. Dancers smile and glisten as they passionately ignite into joyful visions of sweetness, passion, frenzy and syncopation. Everyone is lost in the moment illustrating the traditions, the conscience and the power of musical theatre, giving and getting the most out of Feore's phenomenal, ovation-worthy choreography.
Trained, drilled and confident, they each get a chance to shine - and shine they do - all making strong impressions that will live long in memory.
Making his Goodspeed Musicals debut, Corbin Bleu, as Joe Ross, a character originated by Gene Kelly in the 1950 film version, creates a "Wow!" song-and-dance-man factor chock full of charm, personality, self-confidence and full-beam, champagne delightness that astounds, cajoles and sparkles with leading man gait and luxury like no other.
No matter what he does, he's a proverbial triple-threat (i.e., a player who excels at acting, singing and dancing) who makes everything that happens on stage feel fresh, spontaneous, real, raw and very much in the moment. It's in his eyes. It's in his moves. It's in his expressions.
Exhibiting a sweet, contagious rapport that extends far beyond the footlights, it's the performance of the year and one that Bleu exudes with a Gene Kelly/Fred Astaire aura of showbiz savvy, knockabout whimsy, graceful athleticism and sterling encapsulation. "Joe's Dance," a solo dance number in Act II performed by Bleu only furthers that notion.
In the role of Jane Falbury, a role made famous by Judy Garland in the original "Summer Stock" MGM musical, Danielle Wade lights up the Goodspeed Musicals stage with a breezy, intuitive musical comedy performance of real warmth and spirit that is a constant joy to watch. Veanne Cox, cast in the role of the wickedly devious Connecticut farming magnate Margaret Wingate, is jaw-dropping brilliant, using humor, music, dance and melodrama in divinely daft and glorious ways that prompt applause and laughter whenever she's in the limelight. It's a scene-stealing performance so seamlessly entrenched in glee and fiery abandon, Cox, would be the ideal choice to play narcissistic Broadway diva Dee Dee Allen in the 2024 summer presentation of "The Prom" at Playhouse in Park in West Hartford. I'll personally deliver the contract.
Other memorable performances are delivered by Arianna Rosario (Gloria Falbury), Stephen Lee Anderson (Henry "Pop" Falbury), Gilbert L. Bailey II (Phil Filmore), Will Roland (Orville Wingate) and J. Anthony Crane (Montgomery Leach).
A musical escape brimming with delightful songs, engaging performances and full-beam dance numbers, "Summer Stock" is not only a bubbly tonic for theatergoers of all ages, but one that kicks nostalgia into high gear with uncomplicated bliss, fizz and vintage sparkle.
It sings. It dances. It pops. It dazzles.
Like "42nd Street" which played Goodspeed Musicals last season, it overflows with Kelly/Astaire lightness, punch and precision, sunny vibes and well-played exactitude.
The energy displayed here is fast and furious with first-night exhilaration and thrill paired especially well with Corbin Bleu's charming star turn, Danielle Wade's joyous "Get Happy" abandon and Veanne Cox's well-prepped, icy cool villain.
This is musical theatre of the highest order - infectious, irresistible, glorious. Its leave-your-troubles-at-the-door/Let's-put-on-a-show mentality accelerates with sparkle and cherry pie goodness.
And boy, do we need it now!" [source]
(the reference to jane's sister abigail uses the film's names: abigail becomes gloria in this production, which is the name of abigail's actor in the film, which also mirrors how the role of herb is now phil, also the name of herb's actor in the film)
(also shoutout to providing A Full, Chronological List Of Songs. noting that according to another interview, intermission would be between "you wonderful you" and "june night")
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