#this is whizzer’s world and Marvin’s just living in it

[human837]

Why I love the big grey cube

The cube starts very uniform and rather out of place as it seems just I bit odd to the audience.

But as it gets ripped apart it becomes clear to the audience how it is just a collection if blocks that are used by the characters to play pretend.

This shows Marvin's attempt to control everyone by viewing life as a game and trying to get everyone to play along to his delusional view on life.

After Meldal is engaged to Trina, he tries to draw her out of the fictional world Marvin has created by physically moving Marvin's blocks and fighting with him in 'a tight-knit family reprise'

As trina breaks free from Marvin's childish world, more props are introduced on stage to signal her newfound freedom from him. She gets to move into her new life with Meldal, and u see them decorate their house together (which is incredibly sweet).

The second act starts with a set made from the cubes arranged in a dolls House like formation as if Marvin will continue living in him fauls reality.

But Marvin himself tears down the formation just before 'its about time' to show how he's developed and is awhere that he can't live life as if its a game.

In the second act it is clear that all the characters are living in reality instead of playing Marvin's pretend both due to the important topics Charrlotte is trying to fight for and the increased use of props spread out across the stage.

(I love their little house plant collection)

When Whizzer gets ill, the set completely shifts to be highly realistic with no use of the grey blocks at all. This shows how Marvin can't ignore things anymore and has to face Whizzers health.

RLDR: The set is amazing. I love it so much!

#musicals #falsettos #william finn #the marvin trilogy #marvin falsettos #whizzer falsettos #trina falsettos #musical theatre #falsettos 2016 #whizzer brown #the cube

[fierrochase-falafel]

"All the names are changed to protect the innocent"- an analysis of Marvin's use of names

So y'know how in In Trousers, Marvin is the only named character who actually has screentime and all the women in his life are nameless (ignoring his teacher, Miss Goldberg). It's pretty clear this is, to an extent, a sign of Marvin not seeing the women in his life as people in their own right as he appreciates the affection of no woman actively giving him any, and that he only focuses his attention on unattainable women (such as Miss Goldberg) as a form of compulsory heterosexuality and men (Whizzer).

I do, though, think it's interesting to note that in Love is Blind (in March of the Falsettos), Marvin says "Love reads like a bad biography, all the names are changed to protect the innocent". Marvin's experience of love so far has been women whose names he has left unsaid. Given Whizzer refuses to acknowledge he loves Marvin, and Marvin says he loves Whizzer "sorta, kinda", their relationship isn't taken fully into account as love Marvin has experienced. Marvin does admit he loves Whizzer to Mendel later in the "sorta kinda" conversation, but says he would only concede it if Whizzer loved him back, meaning that he refuses to fully accept that love unless Whizzer said he loved him first: Marvin's inner dialogue does not really see Whizzer as part of his vision of 'love' (albeit ironically the only true romantic love he has experienced). Hence, Marvin's experience of love, at this point, really has had his previous lovers' names changed, perhaps to protect them from people recognising them as having engaged with him at all.

Who this decision is protecting, though, depends on who is innocent. Maybe Marvin had some amount of sympathy for both his high school sweetheart and his wife as being innocent victims of loving him when he didn't love them in return. However, in March of the Falsettos, Marvin does say his wife's name for the first time (I think!) in 'Marvin hits Trina', and he says it not 1, not 2 but 8 TIMES. In quick succession. This song takes place immediately after he gets an invitation to Trina and Mendel's wedding. Trina having her own life makes her no longer 'innocent' as he sees her as having betrayed him, so he addresses her by name repeatedly in anger at this.

I think it's also worth noting that from a point of view of innocence, the first whole name revealed in the musical is that of Whizzer Brown. Whizzer is someone Marvin is very well aware of being sexually experienced, which contradicts the idea of innocence as someone naive to concepts such as sex. He sees Whizzer as someone who is not innocent, and so his name is left in fully throughout. The multiple meanings of 'innocent' to both imply sexual inexperience and having done nothing wrong, can also group together having a lot of sexual experience with being guilty of it. The negative connotations of these together subtly shows Marvin's internalised homophobia and conflicted views on Whizzer and his unapologetic flamboyance. One could also say Whizzer is basically a walking pride flag in how he seems unashamed of his personality and life, and his name is also very obviously on display as such as he has nothing to hide or stash away. Arguably that is innocence, but I don't think Marvin sees it that way. Anyways, this is getting a bit convoluted.

Through this one line, even though it seems strange-sounding and just a pretty odd throwaway at first (atleast it did to me on the first few listens), you get a distinct idea of Marvin's view of what is innocent and what is guilty, and who he deems to be innocent in a world where he sees himself as the highest power. Trina and Whizzer, as individuals who disagree with Marvin's views of what is right on a particular front, are guilty. While trying to hide their names initially when mentioning "his wife", "his child" and "his friend" in Tight Knit Family, his opinion of their lives comes out on top in this love-biography he has in his head. He writes the bad biography (even he admits it's bad, funnily enough), and to him they aren't innocent. Obviously he goes through major character development at the end of March of the Falsettos, and this seems to make his use of names less distinct. He says Whizzer's name more softly, with emphasis on love, and I don't think he says Trina's very much at all, maybe letting go with his anger and view of her as 'guilty'. This is last part is largely conjecture though! I'd love to hear more people's takes on this.

Edit: I just realised! In terms of innocence, Miss Goldberg's name being revealed is probably also representative of her adulthood when Marvin's in school, making her seem more 'mature' to him and thus not innocent (given how childhood often connotes innocence.

#names #falsettos #falsettoland #march of the falsettos #in trousers #marvin falsettos #trina falsettos #whizzer falsettos #whizzer brown #falsettos meta #miss goldberg #in trousers meta #analysis time by me so I can track them in my tags #posts originating from my brain

[stelliferous2]

so we all know that in trousers and falsettos have a ton of musical links, but 2 of my favourites are falsettoland + the dream and everyone hates his parents + my high school sweetheart. its so cool seeing Bill Finn adding in these details to reinforce the themes of the Marvin Trilogy!!

Falsettoland (reprise) and In Trousers (The Dream) have an incredibly similar piano part, especially in the introduction for Falsettoland. In The Dream, Marvin talks about the women “lost their love”, and in Falsettoland, Marvin has just lost his love.

I think Everyone Hates His Parents and My High School Sweetheart are linked in a far more interesting way though. the bit with marvin telling hadon “you are gonna kill your mother” in the former and miss goldberg singing “go ahead, play columbus. stop begging, stop making me crazy, marvin” have the same underlying chord progression and are also similar melodically. The ideas explored here further parallel each other, with Jason and Marvin acting as character foils for each other.

Miss Goldberg is a key adult figure in Marvin’s life — it’s implied he’s not close to his parents, so the attention he receives from Miss Goldberg may be construed as parental in this early stage of the musical (before he convinces himself that he’s attracted to her). Marvin is obviously a key parental figure in Jason’s life.

Jason and Marvin are, in these scenes, both on the precipice of an event that will shape their young adult lives, with this moment serving as the start of a massive motif about growing up (or struggling to) and adulthood. Jason’s struggle with his bar mitzvah is a massive part of Falsettoland, and reaches its peak when Trina and Mendel shove the responsibility of canceling it following Whizzer’s hospitalisation onto him. The bar mitzvah is a motif for Jason coming to maturity, leaving the ‘falsettos’ and joining the real world, where people die and life isn’t always fun and games. In this moment, he is forced to decide whether he should fall into the trap of never growing up the same way Marvin and Mendel did, or whether he should metaphorically “kill his mother”, thereby preventing himself from making his parents’ mistakes and growing up into a functioning adult.

Meanwhile, Marvin is given the role of Columbus by nagging Miss Goldberg in a very childish manner, showing him that he can have whatever he wants from the women in his life if he is enough of an asshole and never grows up. He decides to pursue Miss Goldberg because she is clearly willing to give him power, such as the lead in the play, if he bullies her enough. This is the moment where we see Marvin really grow into the misogynistic, entitled “baby who’s been denied” portrayed in the later musicals. He never grows up afterward, because he’s just been shown here that he can have whatever he wants if he acts childish and entitled enough.

In this moment, Marvin and Jason are faced with the same decision — whether to grow up or not. Marvin, by annoying Miss Goldberg into giving him Columbus, has chosen the latter option. Meanwhile, Jason decides to do the adult thing — acknowledge that the bar mitzvah is stressful, talk to Mendel, and face the challenge. He kills his mother. Marvin doesn’t.

#in trousers #falsettos #marvin trilogy #miss goldberg #bill finn #william finn #falsettoland #mendel weisenbachfeld #i wrote this at 11pm so idk if any of this is coherent #bill finn is a genius and this fucks me up

[the-river-rix]

An excerpt of possibly my favorite fic I’ve ever written (falsettos)

Marvin felt laughter bubble up in his stomach, exiting his mouth in a giddy burst. It was genuine, loud, and it left his stomach warm. A month ago it was a sound that was completely foreign to him. Marvin didn’t laugh much. He had grown into a bitter, neurotic, and unpleasant man who only laughed with sarcasm or to feign politeness. For Marvin, laughter was a tool to win an argument or to lie his way out of a bad situation. It wasn’t something natural and dizzying that made his entire body feel warm. Nothing in his life was natural. He was trapped in a fake marriage, with a wife he didn’t love, a distant, sullen child, and a psychiatrist who, frankly, just annoyed him.

His life changed when he met Whizzer Brown. Or rather, his entire world was turned upside down. For the first time in years, perhaps for the first time in his life, he was relishing being alive. He allowed himself to indulge in the butterflies in his stomach and the heat overtaking every part of his body. He allowed himself to admire, touch, and hold a man he wanted, who wanted him. He stopped bothering to care about the constant screaming and fighting in his house. He stopped caring about the sobs that wracked Trina’s body every time he came home too late. He didn’t even care that Jason had become angrier, harder, more withdrawn and peculiar, taking to playing chess in solitude. After being taught only how to survive, he was finally starting to live.

#broadway #musicals #falsettos #falsettos fanfiction #falsettos broadway #falsettos bway #falsettos revival #falsettos 2016 #falsettos 2016 cast>>> #marvin falsettos #whizzer brown #trina weisenbachfeld #jason weisenbachfeld #in trousers #pre falsettos post in trousers #whizzvin #toxic whizzvin #I adore Marvin and whizzer with my entire heart and soul #the marvin trilogy #marvin x whizzer

[cherryberg]

Your top 3 musicals ever gogogo gogo ogo go

HEEEEELPPPPP HEEEEEEEEEEEEELPPPPPPP aough .... ardate please you have to understand that i Have to understand that my taste in musicals are very limited now. when you were a musical girlie in 2016, you leave that shit behind for a few hundred years and now have to rebuild all of that again from scratch with a new appreciation so...

this went longer than expected so the list goes Marvin Trilogy, Fun Home, School of Rock. more under the cut smiles

Marvin Trilogy

In Trousers, Falsettos [March of the Falsettos, Falsettoland]

Fav Songs, excluding obvious fan-favourites: Can't Sleep, How Marvin Eats His Breakfast, My Father's a Homo/Everyone Tells Jason to See a Psychiatrist, Round Tables Square Tables, etc

i don't know many, but man. i like a good sung-through musical. means i can listen to the whole soundtrack from start to finish and have cohesively consumed a whole narrative. and tbh? falsettos, but even in trousers too, don't really have Bad songs. i've listened to the falsettos 2016 revival and in trousers 1979 original cast soundtracks dozens of times (both separately and together). which, i mean. compared to the other musicals i have here, i haven't even listened to their whole soundtracks (which. to be fair i did see those live). and yeah you have the really good songs that Everyone likes. the Thrill of First Loves and the Whizzer Going Downs and what have you, but you listen to the tracks a second time, or maybe watch the proshot again, and you get the smaller less-appreciated songs in your head. not included in the fav songs list because that thing's long, but i love A Breakfast Over Sugar. i get Set Those Sails and A Marriage Proposal and Miracle of Judaism stuck in my head. and its great! not to mention just how good and how important the story is .. i could go on but aough ..... long

Fun Home

Fav Songs: Edges of the World, Welcome to Our House on Maple Avenue, Telephone Wire, currently being annoying about Raincoat of Love

PUNCHES WALL. PUNCHES WALL. PUNCHES WALL. PUNCHES WALL. PUNCHES WALL. PUNCHES WALL. PUNCHES WALL. PUNCHES

yeah man. saw this one for school. still have the ticket actually. but Because i did it for school, i have so much analysis and thoughts up here, it's maybe too long and specific. and also for like. a specific production that no one on tumblr would've watched. i would give anything to see that production again though. it wouldn't be the same as seeing it live, Especially during certain moments, but goodness gracious, man. the set design, the lighting, and that revolving stage? absolutely everything to me... so well integrated. just... mwah

School of Rock

Fav Songs: Stick It to the Man, Act 2 Scene 8: Dewey's Bedroom. You're in the Band .. mehbeh

Um... I don't really.. have a third that I can think of that's on par. But, it's School of Rock. It's awesome. my sibling had a track record of not liking musicals when they had to come and see it with me (when i still went out to watch musicals aough ...), but I think this was the first one they really liked - enough for me to get them a key ring of the show! (they cried during If Only You Would Listen too :]) It was a wonderful performance, and the kids were so good and coordinated too! They let us take pictures of the ending song ... which i just took a video of, so i still have that. I watched School of Rock during my ... hardcore theatre kid era though so.. i've got a few cringe worthy memories of it .. but yeah is good :]

I did see Moulin Rouge once as well, despite never having seen the movie, and that was very good as well. Though I'm not much for jukebox musicals (can't deny that Moulin Rouge tracks can be freakin' awesome though) and I think I was too busy ogling heehee

but yeah .. that's all :]

#askberg #textberg #ardate #aough .. smiles #this isnt too serious .. but hey ! this list

[ofpd]

for the ask game hadestown cuz it's the first musical I thought of

ok well i haven't actually listened to hadestown but this is my blog and i do what i want & ik you like falsettos also so im gonna do falsettos instead . ok falsettos has a Lot of songs so im gonna try not to put too much thought into any of these & im combining songs that are combined in the cast recording

four jews in a room bitching: i'm neurotic / he's neurotic / they're neurotic / we're neurotic

a tight-knit family/love is blind: love is very often debris / when you find / what you find / then never never never never never do it over again (see: what more can i say)

the thrill of first love: we ask for passion at all times / we stand to passion and drink this toast / still it's awful trying / and we're not denying / that of all the lesser passions / we like fighting most

marvin at the psychiatrist: does she sleep in the nude / no

my father's a homo/everyone tells jason to see a psychiatrist: i think you like playing chess alone / that's not normal / what is normal / i wouldn't know

this had better come to a stop: chop chop chop chop chop i chopped it / i served his food the asshole forced me / and still the bastard divorced me

i'm breaking down: i wanna hate him but i really can't / it's like a nightmare how this all proceeds / i hope that whizzer don't fulfill his needs

please come to our house/jason's therapy: so you feel alright for about 10 minutes / feel alright for 20 minutes / feel alright for 40 minutes / drop it and smile / why don't you feel alright for the rest of your life

a marriage proposal/a tight-knit family (reprise): oftentimes lovers are crazy people / sometimes they kill each other / just like a biblical brother / did to his biblical brother / back in biblical times / biblical times? / biblical times / oh those biblical times

trina's song/march of the falsettos/trina's song (reprise): they fight too hard / and play too rough / they sometimes love / but not enough

the chess game: life's a sham and every move is wrong / we've examined every move as we move along

making a home: loving our / liking our / hating our lives / making a home

the games i play: play again the music / it's a song that i've been waiting to hear for much too long / years, years too long

marvin hits trina: mendel plans to rub my back / mendel's not a maniac / and he's sweet / and he's warm / and he loves me so

i never wanted to love you: i never wanted to love you / i only wanted to see my face in yours / jason's wild / save that child / how he adores / and hates me

father to son: a man, kid / you'll be, kid / if nothing goes wrong / sing for us all / as you march along

falsettoland/it's about time: one day i'd like to be / as mature as my son / who is 12 and a half / and this tall / that's all i'd like to be / that's all (honorable mention to: shiksa caterers / short insomniacs / hypochondriacs / yiddish-americans / feisty families / radiologists / intellectuals / nervous wrecks)

year of the child: there'll be food / like food never before (this line has always been SO hilarious to me for some reason)

miracle of judaism: would they come, though / if they were invited / and not / laugh at my hebrew / and not / laugh at my father and his friends

the baseball game: just what i wanted at a little league game / my ex husband's ex lover / isn't that what every mother dreams about / having at a little league game / looking at whizzer is like eating treyf

a day in falsettoland: in the 60's everyone had heart / in the 60's we were all a part of the same team / in the 60's we had a new world to start / could this / oh god don't say this / could this be / the new world we started

everyone hates his parents: everyone hates his parents / that's in the torah / it's what history shows / in fact, god said to moses / moses, everyone hates his parents / that's how it is / and god knew / because god hated his

what more can i say: can you tell / i have been revived / it's so swell / damn it / even i'm surprised

something bad is happening/more racquetball: my spirits sag / when i read the magazines / men dressed in drag / next to their moms / passion and fashion and filler / but not a word about the killer / i like the ballgowns but jesus christ

holding to the ground: i hold to the ground as the ground keeps shifting / keeping my balance square / trying not to care about this man whom marvin loves / but that's my life / he shared my life / yes that's my life

days like this: i think you need to play some chess / jason, sit down and begin / i'll let you win, whizzer / don't let me win / i'll let you win

canceling the bar mitzvah: why don't we tell him / that we don't have the answers / and that life can be grim / life's not all about him / and things rarely go according to plan / tell him things happen / for no damn good reason / and his lack of control kills what's best in his soul / and this is the start to his becoming a man

unlikely lovers: i can't help but feeling / i've failed / let's be scared together / let's pretend that nothing is awful / there's nothing to fear / just stay right here / i love you

another miracle of judaism: i don't know if you exist / i can't hear your fingers snapping / are you just a big psychiatrist / or can you make things not happen

something bad is happening (reprise): something that kills / something infectious (this was my attempt to not just do the entirety of this very short song lol)

you gotta die sometime: death's a funny pal with a weird sort of talent / he takes me in his arms and walks me to the bed / he pins me against the wall and kisses me like crazy / the many stupid things i thought about with dread / now delight / then the scene turns to white

jason's bar mitzvah: son of abraham, isaac, and jacob / son of marvin / son of trina / son of whizzer / son of mendel / and godchild to the lesbians from next door / sing, oh sing, oh sing

what would i do: do you regret / i'd do it again / i'd like to believe that i'd do it again and again and again (see: love is blind)

falsettoland (reprise): this is where we take a stand / welcome to falsettoland

send me an album & I'll pick my favorite lyrics from every song

#fun fact about falsettos is that i saw the tour cast w my friend in 2019 and she'd never seen/listened to it before #and she saw a bit of the aids quilt in the lobby and was like oh that's so cool that they have a bit of the aids quilt #and then she didn't think about it anymore until charlotte was like “bachelors arrive sick and frightened #they leave weeks later unenlightened” and she was like oh. oh. oh. Oh.. #asks #mina tag #falsettos #long post #very long post lmfao #i gave myself chills typing a lot of these out 😭😭 i have it BAD for this musical

[catboyrichardkarinsky]

yoooo i just saw you make a company reference. so maybe for your hc thing paul and amy from company. or if you don't feel like it do like idk chardelia or smth

The thing is while i do sometimes listen to company and have seen it live i don't consider myself to be a person who's too familiar with it so I'll just do chardelia if you don't mind

Charlotte

Sexuality Headcanon: lesbian obvi

Gender Headcanon: i like the non binary Charlotte headcanon. I'm not like crazy about it but i think it's neat.

A ship I have with said character: Cordelia obvi. Unless we go with the crack theory that she changed her name to Joanne and fell in love with Maureen. I'm kidding obviously.

A BROTP I have with said character: i am a basic Charlotte-Marvin appreciatior like so many of us. She's basically his impulse control because oh boy would Marvin be getting into Situations without her. I just got a fic idea i probably won't end up writing.

A NOTP I have with said character: because it appearantly needs to be said Charlotte x any man ever why would you ship a lesbian character with men

A random headcanon: you'd think she's the responsible mom friend at first glance but that doesn't mean she doesn't have a dark side.

General Opinion over said character: she's the absolute best. Also i stand by this i get that we didn't have time and the musical focuses on Marvin first and foremost but i somewhat wish we got a deeper look into what Charlotte was feeling after Whizzer's diagnosis since we do know she can't handle faliure and knowing he's one of her close friends and how frustrated she already was from the AIDS crisis even before anyone she personally knows. I just wonder.

Cordelia

Sexuality Headcanon: lesbian obviii

Gender Headcanon: i don't know any specific but girl. Not in the real world definition of girl but in the abstract tumblr definition of girl.

A ship I have with said character: once again Charlotte obviously

A BROTP I have with said character: let's be basic again and say Whizzer

A NOTP I have with said character: men because WHY does it need to be said

A random headcanon: similar to what i said for Charlotte she seems really sweet at first but she can snap and you don't want to see that. Also she just seems like the type of person who'd be into astrology.

General Opinion over said character: she's too good for this world

[what-i-covet-i-keep]

Marvin: *walks in a room*

Whizzer:

#this is whizzer’s world and Marvin’s just living in it #falsettos #Whizzvin

[beingalivebeingalive]

Becoming Alive: Bravery Through Love

There is a theme in musical theatre that I absolutely love but have not been able to quite articulate. If I were to put it as succinctly as possible, I think it has to do with characters being very tender with one another in the face of great fear and uncertainty. I will use several different musicals that I think quite poignantly illustrate some of these points.

This idea of love in the face of fear can break down further into themes of bravery, loss, and acceptance.

In almost all of these examples the characters are losing something or giving up something to engage meaningfully with another character. The prospect of love can be existentially terrifying. To love a person in a world that is often chaotic and random, when all people are fallible, and life is fragile, and everything is temporary is sort of…well, terrifying. To love another person is to engage in a contract with the universe for inevitable pain. You say I love this person so much that its worth it, and in fact I know the more I love this person the more this inevitable pain will be. There is a positive correlation between love and future pain (on a very not fun graph). Love is inextricably tied to loss. But the instances where we see characters say yes anyway are extremely powerful.

This loss can come in many forms; sometimes it’s the loss of an ideal; the idea of how you thought your life would be.

Alison in Fun Home ultimately choosing to live authentically despite the fact she is giving up her old sense of self and possibly the acceptance of her family is a prime example. This willingness to let go of who she thought she may be and a life she may have allows her to love Joan. It also changes the trajectory of her story from her Father (and her mother) who were not able to do those things. I’ve talked about this before, but you can see this comparison in the songs “Changing My Major to Joan” and “Edges of the World.”

Bobby in Company eventually gives up a sense of security and safety in being alone and simply being an observer rather than a participant in life.

In Falsettos several character have to give up their idea of what a traditional family looks like, and eventually Marvin and Whizzer have to give up the idea of what their life together would be in the future: “They say good men get better with age, we’re just gonna have to skip that stage.” But love is saying yes anyway. When Whizzer asks Marvin in the end “Do you regret?” and Marvin replies “I’d do it again. I’d like to believe I’d do it again and again.” I mean…wow. Marvin knows the heartbreak he must go through, knows the costs of loving this person. Marvin knows how their story ends, but he’d accept that in order to be with Whizzer. Jason also loses a piece of his innocence in a way and the idea of fairness. Despite this he still visits the man who has become like another father and friend to him in the hospital. All the women in Whizzers life express a feeling of helplessness but again they don’t run from his suffering, they support him until the very end.

A willingness to be vulnerable and confused

In Into the Woods After “No More” where it looks like the baker is going to run away, he comes back to Cinderella, Little Red, Jack, and his baby.

All these people have learned what it is like to lose someone important to them and how it can spin your life into chaos, they know grief and they are currently looking into a very uncertain future at the point “No one is alone” happens. But despite not having the answers, instead of running they come together. The adults who feel like they know little more then the children who are currently relying on them, tell them about the importance of empathy and assure them they have people who care about them.

“Unlikely Lovers” from Falsettos is another reminder of the importance of community and family in times of uncertainty. They know love is not about having the answers it’s about being there. And Despite how insanely terrifying to live in that time must have been they knew they needed one another; they sing beautifully “Let’s be scared together.” This is a theme that I think is particularly resonant for LGBTQ+ people.

“Changing My Major to Joan” again is an example of this acceptance and willingness to explore the unknown: “Am I falling into nothingness or flying into something so divine.” Allison must learn to love and accept the part of herself that allows her to love Joan even though she doesn’t not know what will happen as a result.

Characters at pivotal moments where they can accept the challenge or run

After “No More” the baker goes back. Allison’s “Changing my major to Joan” and her father’s “Edges of the World” are actually quite similar you see these themes played out in smaller ways throughout the show but ultimately the conclusion is different for the two (again I talked about this more in depth in my “Maybe Not Right Now” post).

Out of these musicals this is probably best exemplified by Bobby in Company. It isn’t until the second half of the final song that we see any movement forward from the main character. [I could do a whole post just on this show and the crucial moments leading to this epiphany, but I’ll try to keep it brief here] Bobby in “Being Alive” is staring into the abyss he has finally been cracked open and he is confronted with a choice. He can no longer lie to himself, however that doesn’t mean he has to move forward, to make that leap. But he does.

This is very different from “Marry Me a Little” where Bobby envisions a love that involves none of the themes that have been discussed so far, no loss, no uncertainty, no depth. What he describes sounds more like emotionally distant but friendly roommates. Because Bobby knows that alone is safe.

But what all of these characters know/learn, as well as Bobby eventually, is that love is an act of bravery. Life isn’t safe, and heartbreak is inevitable whether you’re alone or not.

Whether it’s a willingness to be vulnerable and confused, a willingness to accept inevitable loss, facing an uncertain future despite our grief, and embracing the horrors of being known, when characters reach out across that chasm and find a hand reaching back…I can’t help but be moved.

Then Bobby sings what is to me one of the most poignant lines of the show

“I’ll always be there as frightened as you, to help us survive, being alive”

Because it really can be a terrifying prospect. To accept our selves and others, to make promises, to see and be seen, to say yes again and again and again despite how the story may end. To allow ourselves that moment of vulnerability where we reach out and hold our breath while our hand hangs there, waiting. To love and be loved by another person is one of the bravest things we can do as people. But we do it. Because it is essential to our survival, because we’re stronger together, because it’s part of what makes us truly beautifully alive.

“There are no answers, but who would I be if you had not been my friend.”

#falsettos #into the woods #fun home #company #love #musical theater #vulnerability #musicals #stephen sondheim #ramblings #william finn #james lapine #Lisa kron #being alive

[phierecycled]

Mayhaps #2 - sending the child with their request to the other parent because they don't want to be the strict one?

Slipping Through My Fingers

Whizzer Brown prided himself in being 'the cool dad'. In most situations the 'cool dad' is the only dad, but in his somewhat unique circumstance, Whizzer was considered as the cool dad amongst two other people (not that they provided that much competition for the title). Jason had obviously taken note of Whizzer's laid back persona and chilled aura over the many times Whizzer would take him to get ice cream after school and let him sit in the front seat while swearing as he pleases ('You're old enough to sit here, but please for my sake and yours, don't tell your father about the words I've taught you'). So when Jason had been asked by his friend Heather if he wanted to go to the ABBA concert with her, he knew exactly which of (his literal 6) parents he would ask.

Whizzer was tutting over the inaccuracy of the fashion magazine he was flicking through when Jason had strolled through the doorway with hopeful eyes which were almost covered by the hair he refused to get cut for some reason. After sensing the fact that he wasn't alone anymore, Whizzer looked up to meet the eyes of the boy before him, sending a smile as he promptly closed the magazine and took off his brown rimmed spectacles and placed both on the coffee table.

"Hey Jason!" he said cheerfully "Hi." Jason simply returned, looking as if he wanted to add something. Whizzer watched him expectantly, silently gesturing for him to continue. "Well- you see there's this concert- an ABBA concert, and my friend Heather- you know the one who has the loud dog- yeah, her- invited me to go to with her to it and I just wanted to make sure that would be ok." Jason surprised himself that he had managed to get his request out without an inhuman amount of 'umms' and 'ahhhs' like he would expect. But what surprised him more was Whizzer's non-immediate 'yes' response. "Well um- I don't know Jase-" Whizzer said after a few seconds of being lost in thought. "But Whizzer," Jason interjected "You love ABBA. Remember that time I caught you singing to Voulez Vous when making dinner? Are you really going to deprive your child of a once in a lifetime chance to see the greatest band ever live?" Oh so he's playing THAT game.

It wasn't that Whizzer didn't like ABBA or didn't want Jason to go to their concert. Jason was correct in saying that he did in fact love ABBA, but the kid is also 12. Was two 12 year olds going to an extremely crowded concert safe? What if something happened? What if they got lost? Whizzer knows what concerts are like, and they're well- wild. Two people that small could easily get pushed around or trampled on.

Another part of his brain went to him retaining that 'cool dad' status. He didn't know what he'd do if he lost it to Marvin or god forbid- Mendel 'can't tie a tie' Weisenbachfeld. These juxtaposing thoughts apparently made their way to Whizzer's mouth because what Jason heard during these moments was "well- um- you see there's- um- you know- I think that- um-". "Whizzer are you feeling ok?" Jason had asked with genuine concern for the uneasy man in front of him. "Yes. Yes I am," Whizzer quickly said, a little bit too loud for a normal response, "I just think- um- that maybe you should- errrr- ask your dad? Ask your dad. That's it. Yes. Ask your dad." Jason still looked at Whizzer as if he had just sprouted a third leg but turned away slowly, walking and nodding his head simultaneously.

*

"I can't believe you didn't let him see ABBA." Marvin said with a laugh as both he and Whizzer lay in bed. "Hey! I didn't NOT let him, I just said he should go to you. And it's not like you exactly let him go either.". It was true. Jason had rushed off to Marvin once he didn't get a direct answer from Whizzer, but after receiving the dreaded negative answer from him, Jason had bolted off to his room and demonstrated a few of the words that Whizzer had taught him (aimed at the door, of course). "You know I'm kind of surprised." Marvin added "At what?" "I sort of just expected you to straight up say yes to him." Marvin justified.

"Well," Whizzer began "I don't know- I just don't think it's extremely safe for two 12 year olds to go to a concert by themselves. Even if it is ABBA. I'm just looking out for the kid." Marvin looked at his lover for a second, before leaning closer to him so their foreheads were practically touching "You know; you're a really great father." he said quietly, flashing a sincere smile towards Whizzer. Years ago, Whizzer would have scoffed at the thought of himself being a father, let alone a good one. But now, the phrase to him, meant the world.

#falsettos #marvin falsettos #whizzer brown #whizzvin #falsettos fan fiction #march of the falsettos #falsettoland #I tried. I hope this isn't terrible #please don't hate me I haven't written fan fiction in ages #musicals #broadway #falsettos revivial #jason falsettos #i've never actually been to a concert so yeah

[helenaredamancy]

musical theatre moments that break me :)

the way aaron tveit (specifically his line delivery of this for some reason) sings “i wanna live a life and not just play a part” and “im tired of living on the stage a life that’s only on the page” (catch me if you can)

it gets extra good in his final performance of the song, here

phillipa soo in the entirety of burn and its quiet uptown (hamilton)

oh also idk why but her version of no one else makes me sad its so pretty (the great comet of 1812)

jeremy jordan’s opening verses to this world will remember us,,, special points to the way he sings “could outsmart the smartest lawman” and “my name is gonna make the history books” (bonnie and clyde)

jeremy jordan’s line delivery for “every kid will idolize clyde barROW” (bonnie and clyde)

also the way this part of too late to turn back now is sung,,

“yOU AINT GOIN NOWHERE” “CLYDE I MEANT WHAT I SAid”,, POWER

the way andrew rannells sings “how do i start not to love you” while staring at marvin, thank you (falsettos)

also the first time whizzer/marvin say i love you to each other

the fact that marvin tells his son “i never wanted to love you, i just wanted to see your face in mine” after slapping his ex wife? when his son’s biggest hang up is that he resembles marvin way too much? jesus (falsettos)

cathy talking about how that guy she dated: “he blew me off with a heartfelt letter i thought i can do better than that” and then jaime doing exactly that (the last five years)

the i am the one/ i am the one reprise and perfect for you/ hey 3 perfect for you reprise lyric changes/ context changes!!! incredible stunning perfect gorgeous (next to normal)

the roughness in aaron tveit’s live rendition of roxanne (it’s so emotional? i didn’t think roxanne would work with JUST christian but. it does)

drew gehling and jessie mueller’s harmonies in bad idea as they take their wedding rings off and decide to have the affair,, heartbreaking+pretty (waitress)

also renee rapp/antonio cipriano singing bad idea

honestly any harmonies in waitress r guaranteed to make ur heart Break

think: the entirety of you matter to me (waitress)

oh also the cut last five years song ‘i could be in love with someone like you’ explains SO much about jaime and makes everything sadder

here’s a version i really like,,,,,, (x)

it was replaced by shiksa goddess fyi

#helena list tag #aaron tveit #catch me if you can #hamilton #bonnie and clyde #jeremy jordan #philippa soo #falsettos #andrew rannells #next to normal #renee rapp #antonio cipriano #moulin rouge #waitress #waitress the musical #the last five years #broadway #musicals #musical theater #musical theatre

[hello-yue-here]

About your atla ship songs, I have a couple of questions (sorry if my phrasing comes out wrong, english isn't my first language and I worry it might across as accidentally defensive): how did you end up with the choices for zukka, jetko and yuekka (note: I haven't seen the great comet, so feel free to obsess over it, I'm intrigued now and the hype is appreciated!)? Sidenote: I think the mailee choice is HILARIOUS and the tokka one just make me sad, I didn't expect to be attacked like this😭

kdjfha;s i love you im gonna obsess SO HARD over great comet now. you may regret this

this is gonna be so long so the rest is under the cut whoops

yuekka: no one else from great comet

where do i even begin. WHERE DO I EVEN BEGIN

okay so background information on this show: it's based off of a 76 oages excerpt from war and peace and its centered around a woman named natasha (and this guy pierre but he's irrelevant to this song so we wont worry about him) and natasha's bethrothed is off fighting in the war right now. she hasn't seen him in a while but she is in love with him.

every single lyrics of this song SCREAMS yuekka to me. the innocence and purity of their love. the love at first sight. and even the melancholy ending just- i go apeshit for this song. i love this song so much. and denee benton's voice??? kljsdhflwksugf please listen to this song if you haven't already. listen to the whole show. your life will be changed forever.

onto the lyrics (i stg this is ab to be the whole song whoops)

"the moon"

THOSE ARE THE FIRST WORDS ON THE SONG. natasha and andre (her bethrothed) met underneath the moonlight. Sokka and Yue first spoke to eachother at night and always met each other for their most intimate moments under the moonlight. also yue is LITERALLY the moon so like: right of the bat with those two words it's yuekka.

"and i saw your eyes / and i saw your smile / and the world opened wide"

sokka fell in love with yue the moment he saw her in the canal. she literally enchanted this motherfucker. everything about her made his heart go crazy. and 'the world opened wide' to me is from yue's perspective. Yue had never left the north pole and sokka had seen a good chuck of the world at the point. He took her on appa, he told her about his adventures. he saw the world yue wished to see and you know damn well that Sokka would have done anything to give it to her.

"oh the moon /oh the snow in the moonlight / and your childlike eyes and your distant smile / ill never be this happy again / you and i and no one else"

natasha sings fondly about the moon and the snow, seeing as it was where she fell in love with andre. yue and sokka LITERALLY fell in love in the same place: in the snowy nothern water tribe under the light of the moon. childlike eyes: THEYRE CHILDREN!!! distant smile: this is where it gets a little sad. theyre both children with way too many duties during a world that has known nothing but war for the past century. they want to be happy but yeah, theyre smiles are distant and far away because happiness seems out of reach for them most of the time. i'll never be this happy again: the moments yue and sokka shared together were probably the happiest either of them ever were. they were able to ignore the war and the world in the moments they shared together. and with no one else. no one else would be able to give each other this sense of peace and happiness and love.

"joy and life inside our souls / and no body knows just you and me / it's our secret"

Yue and Sokka had to sneak out in secret at night to go and see each other. Yue and Sokka couldn't be together for real because Yue was already engaged, but they were literally in love so she decided to see him anyways in secret. kasdjfhklasjd im losing my mind over them at this point.

"this winer sky / how can anyone sleep / there was never such a night before / i feel like putting my arms around my knees / and squeezing tight as possible / and flying away"

these are my FAVORITE lines in the entire song. yue and sokka had never felt this strongly about anyone before and that's why they are so drawn to each other. they had never experienced love before and they wanted to hold onto it for as long as they could even though they knew they couldnt. Sokka takes yue up on appa and she is wistful and wishes she could live like he does every day: ie flying away. oh my god these two deserved so much better. so much fucking better.

now for the saddes part. the saddest fucking part.

"maybe he'll come today / maybe he came already / and he's sitting in the drawing room / and i simply forgot"

natasha misses andre so intensely at this point. when i first listened to this show and heard this song i was like "wait a min... is andre like... dead?" and im sure i wasnt the only person who assumed that this was why natasha felt so sad by the end of such a beautiful song. (spoiler alert andre is fine)

but this line really exemplifies how sad natasha is, and hints at the fact that andre may never come back. it implies that their relationship is doomed (at least in my opinion) and that's all yuekka. Sokka misses yue intensely when shes gone. Yue accepted her fate almost immediately but sokka was in denial. he thought there had to be another way. but in the end it wasn't meant to be. and sokka will go on, loving yue, wishing for her back, even though it's not possible.

fuck im gonna cry.

zukka: all i've ever known- hadestown

"i was alone so long / i didn't even know that i was lonely / out in the cold so long / i didnt even know that i was cold"

sokka is from the swt so theres where the cold comes in. also in the gaang (initially) it was just him katara and aang. and katara and aang were much closer to each other than sokka was with aang and the two of them were benders so sokka was kind of an outsider with the two of them. He also represses a lot of his emotions and feels the need to do everything himself so i do see a lot of loneliness in sokka. and the fact that so many people in his life have left him (his mom, yue, his dad, suki briefly, etc...) he is known to keep people at an arms length. i see a lot of loneliness in sokka.

zuko's loneliness is a lot more obvious: he has literally been cast out and abandoned by everyone except iroh. and even then he still feels the need to be alone (remember zuko alone? thought so) these boys look after themselves and push others away and revel in their loneliness in order to keep themselves from getting hurt. at least in my opinion on canon and also some fanon because id be a liar if i said fanon didnt influence how i view ALL my ships (not just zukka)

"all ive ever known is how to hold my own / but now I wanna hold you too"

COME ONE MANNNN, they just wanna hold each other. theyre both very big protectors as well and kljhflkasdhg they wanna protect eachother like kljdhfl im gonna lose it rn.

"You take me in your arms / And suddenly there's sunlight all around me / Everything bright and warm / And shining like it never did before / And for a moment I forget / Just how dark and cold it gets"

SUNLIGHT SYMBOLISM. zuko is literally powered by the sun. i don't think i even NEED to elaborate on this one anymore lol. They find comfort in each other away from all of their trauma. when they're together nothing else matters and i personally love that for them. they both deserve love.

"I knew you before we met / And I don't even know you yet / All I know is your someone I have always known"

these two are extremely similar in canon. many parallels. older brothers overshadowed by their prodigy little sisters. longing to make their fathers proud (granted one dad is good and one is fuckin evil), both are pretty bad with emotions. both are seen protecting others before themselves (sokka protecting suki during the serpant's pass, sokka protecting toph on like multiple occassions, zuko protecting katara in the final agni kai), the list goes on. they know who the other is because they see themselves in the other person. they already know each other because they are each other (in a way, not entirely, but the similarities are strong in my opinion)

"I'm gonna hold you forever / The wind will never change on us / Long as we stay with each other / Then it will always be like this"

i just think this line is so cute and sweet (ignoring all the symbolism and foreshadowing that comes with the last line in the musical itself. im gonna pretend this is nothing but happy) and i think these boys deserve happiness so yeah. this song is zukka to me lol.

jetko: thrill of first love- falsettoes

if you've never listened to this song go an do it now. you will know INSTANTLY that it is jetko because of the dynamics alone. marvin and whizzer are pure jetko and i take no crticisms.

marvin and whizzer are both extremely stubborn, and they don't always get along, and they fight a lot, and they get mad at each other a lot, and they are both passionate as hell, and they will bring this passion into everything. they love each other that is without a doubt, but they arent perfect and they are once again stubborn and determined as fuck.

sound familiar? it's literally jetko.

the lyrics aren't what remind me of jetko, but the dynamic itself. the lyrics are too on the nose for a gay couple in 1970's america so that rlly cant apply to jetko all that much. but the way these two characters bounce off of each other and get annoyed with each other and argue with eachother reminds me of jetko. because let's be honest: these two are the most stubborn characters in the whole show. they will fight for what they believe and it will take literally everything to change their minds.

i love jetko but i think they would have petty arguments all the time and get aggravated by one another so easily. and this is even seen in canon: they work so fucking well together but they did not even HESITATE to fight one another after neither of them would give in and let the fight about whether jet was right or wrong about zuko being a firebender. like i cannot say it enough they are stubborn as fuck.

but underneath all that stubborn pettiness and bickering: marvin and whizzer still love each other. and jet and zuko would still love each other. because even though they are stubborn when it comes to arguments, they are even more stubborn and determined when it comes to each other. these two passionate motherfuckers are in love.

(now when i chose this song i decided to ignore the fact that this song literally spells out the fact that marvin and whizzer's relatinoship is doomed because they literally say passion dies. thats the difference between jetko and whizzer and marvin because i dont think passion dies. i chose this song strictly for the bickering lmao)

and i know you didnt ask about tokka but,,,,

i rlly wanna talk about the tokka one

so im going to

tokka: on my own- les mis

look. i KNOW this song is about unrequited love and i love tokka as a couple but,,, the unrequited love in this song just SCREAMS unrequited tokka to me so thats what i went with.

eponine is a girl who has neglectful parents who lives life by her own rules: toph. eponine is shown to be tough and confident and spunky to others but behind all of that she has emotions, she feels love, she hides her vulnerability so much: toph. she is in love with a guy she cant be with because he loves someone else: TOPH

eponine is toph to a t and toph is eponine to a t. this is not up for debate lmao

"without him i feel his arms around me"

toph is always seen grabbing onto someone (and its almost ALWAYS sokka) when she's somewhere where she can't use her feet to see. FEEL and ARMS cmon. look at it.

"and i know / i know that he is blind"

COME ON. IMAGINE TOPH SINGING THIS LINE. this line is already powerful enough in les mis but having toph, a blind character, sing it just makes the symbolism even deeper. toph sees the potential relationship they could have together. toph sees that sokka is oblivious to this. toph is not blind to the truth or the potention, but sokka is blind to her feelings. im about to lose my mind over this line.

"I love him / But every day I'm learning / All my life / I've only been pretending / Without me / His world will go on turning / A world that's full of happiness / That I have never known"

i need to sit down for a moment. toph grew up in a household where her parents did not understand her. she has learned to hide her true emotions and vulnerabilities from everyone. and its the fact that toph knows that she and sokka will never be together and the fact that she still loves him in spite of that is what makes this even more heartbreaking.

"but only on my own"

TOPH AND EPONINE SWEETIES I LOVE YOU

thank you for indulging my theatre kid nonsense. you are very sweet and kind and lovely and awesome and i hope you have a lovely day bestie :) <3

ask me why i think these songs go with these ships

#asks #liv is a theatre nerd #liv is an atla nerd #yuekka #zukka #jetko #tokka #ask me about my ship songs

[what-kinda-fuckery]

Hey so, I was one of the star struck falsettos stans that spent the forty dollars for the webinar, and I took notes (like a weirdo). So I decided I would share my funny moments and updates from the cast here!

- Host: Everyone should be keeping their audio off.

Christian: Oh alright!

Host: nO Christian not you

- Christians in Manhattan and his hair is back and he’s wearing a Superman t-shirt.

- Brandon is with his parents in NJ

- Stephanie and Brandon still love each other

- Brandon: Meat should be cooked just right

- Betsy: Stephanie are you in maple wood?

Stephanie: Well thank you for telling everyone where I am (she’s in NJ)

- Stephanie: Are you fucking kidding meee!!!

- Tracie is in LA, she looks like she’s in Costa Rica and I love her dog.

- Anthony’s VOICE IS LOW EVERYONES FREAKING OUT

they’re all talking about Anthony’s clear skin

- Andy Randy is in LA with a fresh haircut his boyfriend did it and he’s watching too much TV

Andrew: I’m watching this is America

Stephanie: SO GOOD

Andrew: SO GOOD

- Everyone’s having hard days

- Christian is acting out tracies dog’s pathetic bark and everyone’s like WHAT are you doing bc it looks like he’s about to throw up

- BETSY IS A WEEK AWAY FROM HAVINGA WHOLE CHILD

Betsy: What else do you do during a pandemic? Have a baby!

Andrew: Can I toss out another baby name? Celery.

Literally everyone: Goodnight Andrew goodbye!

- Christian is living with a girl (?) and playing board games instead of watching television

HE COOKS NOW EVERYONES PROUD OF HIM

Christian: yesterday I made pork filet en croute

Stephanie: I MADE PORK WITH SAGE AND APPLES ON WEDNESDAY

Stephanie: In mean girls they wear pink on wednesdays. In falsettos they make pork.

- I can’t get over Anthony’s voice

Again everyone returning to his literally perfect skin

- Stephanie: When watching four jews in a room in the beginning who’s in China?? I know the answer I just want to hear someone say it.

Andrew, with a thick accent: It was Bryna, in China, with a torn miniscus

- Christian: Did anything interesting make it on to the telecast between me and you? Andrew? Actually I dont remember I need to do my research.

Andrew: There’s been some strange comments about Christian and I- (AT THIS POINT IM WHEEZING)

HE MENTIONED THE TONY BONY

HE SAID IT WASNT A THING

HE DIDNT HAVE ONE

Andrew: No that’s not a thing that happened

Brandon: Andrew i want you to know that it’s okay if it was. It’s a safe space just the seven of us. (Lol)

- Bill Finn would take two steps into the room: “WROONG”

Stephanie: he wanted me to sing the end of I’m breaking down up the octave and I said #notmytrina

Brandon: #NOTMYTRINA

- Tracie what did you do during act 1

Tracie: Betsy and I sat in that dressing room for like an hour and a half

Andrew: You SANG the WHOLE SHOW TRACIE

- Betsy watched parts of the first act to feel like she was there

- Betsy sprained both her ankles at one point during the run and was a trooper anyways

Brandon reenacting Betsy limping during look look look look

Everyone dies laughing

Christians LAUGH makes me SO HAPPY

- Betsys screen is frozen like this: 🤨

Andrew: What if she went into labor??? (This is a common thread throughout the zoom)

- Anthony: I’m getting a lot of glitching so Stephanie is just like “HUH UH UH UH”

- Betsy comes back and everyone is like

YOU GUYS ITS COMING!!!

- They bought Andrew an ice cream for his birthday from the vending machine at rehearsal

- Andrew: The Hawaii crop top

Betsy: I would give anything to have that

- Tracie: it was very hard. Very precise bringing the blocks together

Brandon: Trying to be like oh my god we’re going to a funeral

Andrew: MY DEATH IT WAS MY DEATH

- fan question: What did the blocks weigh?

Stephanie: They were like thick yoga blocks. Not heavy but awkward shaped

Andrew: Significantly heavier when Anthony sat on them

Anthony: I just realized how much I got thrown around

Stephanie: Anthony were you proud of yourself? #proudofyou

Anthony: The one moment I was cringing was father and son

Christian: HERE WE GO *SLAPS TABLE*

Betsy: Anthony’s like BLAH BLAH BLAH blah my line BLAH BLAH BLAH my line BLAH BLAH

Christian: I LEAVE THE PAUSE IF YOU CANT GET IN THATS ON YOU

Anthony: I was blinking in that number like constantly

Christian: THE WHOLE THING LIKE A SALAMANDER

Oh Anthony.

- Andrew: I HAVE A STORY ABOUT CHRISTIAN BORLE. Tech for what more can i say. He was laying on me. We were shirtless in underpants under the blankets.

Christian: SLOWER

Andrew: he leaned over; He sniffed his armpit and said “I hope you like France”

EVERYONE DIES LAUGHING INCLUDING ME

Christian: i haven’t worn deodorant in 10 years true story

- Christian: i seem to remember holding our pillows and blankets pretending like we were partying on fyre island and Andrew said:

Andrew: WHATS YOUR NAME???

Christian: No no it was something like:

WHAT HOUSE ARE YOU STAYING IN??

Andrew: WHAT HOUSE ARE YOU STAYING IN???

Betsy: James lupine I feel like we’re ruining this show

- Andrew: The shenanigans were real but so was the sadness

Stephanie: We’re real and we’re funny what you gonna do

- Andrew talking about how hard the show was to do: Finding some liberty, It’s a hard world to live in all the time. It was a hard time especially for Christian. I would sometimes go home and cry for no reason

Brandon: Building up emotion with nowhere to put it

Betsy: then Lesbians come in and provide all the levity

Stephanie: Although Dr. Charlotte brings in horrible news

Tracie: Everything’s beautiful at what more can i say and I’m like not so fast

- Tracie always had a funny thing to say

- Who broke character the most on stage?

Anthony Stephanie and Christian

Anthony: it was when I said “I don’t want a bar mitzvah” and I spit in your face a lot and you went like *puts arms up* and someone at stage door was like very condescending like it’s not professional

Christian: Oh my bad we’re people sorry

- Stephanie wrote a line in the show “YOU HAVE PAINTINGS OF DICKS”

- James wanted her to cut off her finger during I’m breaking down

And turn around with a bandaged bloody finger

- Betsy’s nose bleeding during something bad is happening

And Tracie was like something BAD IS HAPPENING

Tracie: Christians throwing up right now

Betsy: Bloody Kleenex up the nose THE SHOW MUST GO ON

- Fan question: Stephanie how do you belt with a banana in your mouth

Christian: Practice practice practice

Stephanie: just shove it in your cheek. But Really that wasn’t supposed to happen

Anthony’s nickname in the rehearsal room was little bananas because he had to gather up all the pieces of stuff after Stephanie shoved the table over with her rear. Sometimes he didn’t have enough time to put it somewhere so he would just put the pieces of banana in his mouth and that’s where it came from

That’s why

- Andrew: Stephanie your glasses are very chic

Stephanie: Oh my gosh thank you *shocked*

- Betsy: Bill was like I’d rather DIE than change lyrics for the pbs special

FLaT aS a LaKe

- Cue everyone accidentally talking over each other and saying what at each other for 30 seconds

Christian: what? what? what?

Who is it?

What’s going on?

- If you could play anyone else in the show who would it be

Anthony said Mendel

Tracie said Mendel

Brandon said Trina

Andrew said marvin

Betsy said whizzer

Stephanie said Mendel

And I honestly couldn’t hear if Christian said anything whoops

- Brandon: If someone could at some point explain to me the Mendel eats dirt meme? People have been Asking me if Mendel eats dirt? I don’t think it’s about Trina Trina is not the dirt. I was overwhelmed. Can someone in the Q&A explain this? *A few seconds later* oh It was from a meme generator?

Christian: Greaat.

Brandon: It’s a fan fiction about Mendel eating dirt and getting aroused by it

Everyone: WHAT

- They still get fan art

Someone recreated the whole soundtrack 8bit and also with KAZOOS

- Brandon: CONGRATS CHRISTIAN ON LULOS WIN FOR LITTLE SHOP. If you haven’t seen Christian in little shop it’s revelatory I’m not just blowing smoke up your ass I have not laughed that hard in a while at the theatre

- Christian talking about little shop

Christian has a 12 inch Batman toy in his dressing room and he misses it

- Ticket prices were getting out of control before corona everyones hoping this will make a difference

Brandon and everyone think it should get more accessible

- Brandon: Hear hear I need a refill

- Stephanie: Your hair looks incredible Brandon (it did)

Christian: She’s been waiting to talk about it for 53 minutes

- Andrew: Well Betsy what I’m wondering is have you crowned yet??

Proceed everyone dying

Brandon, taking a picture of the screen: This moment will go down in history as When Betsy was asked if she was crowning

- Everyone mimicking zoom freezing by starting a sentence and freezing halfway through

- Christian: What new Steven sondheim musical are you excited about Anthony *devilish grin*

Anthony having no idea what Christian is talking about

Christian: Come on Anthony you know the answer. Ugh. The minds of the young. You’re smoking pot now aren’t you??

Christian: We have a lot of fun

- Andrew: I’m trying to get people to pay attention to me

- Christians pretending to be frozen

Cue a lot of yelling: Stephanie BRANDON STEPHANIE

NO CHRISTIAN

Everyone accusing each other of being frozen

NO YOURE FROZEN

- Andrew: Let’s all act like we’re frozen

Steph: I see Andrew acting like hes frozen

Betsy: Watching you do that is killing me

- Listening to the cast recording for the first time together

Stephanie: Why was I the a-hole that couldn’t be there???

Christian: That’s a question only you can answer

- Betsys husband came in everyones like BETSY LOOK OUT

Christian: that scared the shit out of me

- What is marvins last name and what was his line of work

Christian: we definitely said it at some point right? (They didnt) but he was in advertising. What was the last name? Gardens? O’Malley?

- Andrew: Betsys gone oh no

Betsy: I’m right here!!!

Andrew: She’s giving birth (again)

Stephanie: Betsy Wolfe is a ceiling

- Brandon: Welcome back Anthony. You’re here now.

Anthony singing merrily we roll along over Betsy trying to tell a story

Christian: STOP SMOKING POT IN YOUR BEDROOM ANTHONY

- Betsy: Steve (Steven Sondheim) comes to the door I call him steve

Into the woods is the reason Betsy is in theatre

- Betsy: Andrew was nervous singing at the tonys for Book of Mormon and he got dry mouth he sang like 😬I BELIEVE and he licked his lips so much during the song.

Brandon: Did you have a boner then too?

Andrew: GUYS DONT BE DICKS

Stephanie: It’ll be like dry mouth, boner

Andrew: BETSY YOU FUCKIN BITCH ITS ACTUALLY NOT THAT BAD

Stephanie: Bets maybe we should wrap it up

- Brandon sings MARRIAGE PROPOSAL

EVERYONE TELLING HIM TO STOP SINGING I took a video it was beautiful might post that later

- “Tracie Thomas from Lent!”

Tracie having stage fright

Tracie: Billy porter said “oh child we all forget the words” and walked away

- Anthony said WHO SHAT THE BED in four jews once

Anthony: That’s my contribution. Steph got her line, I got who shat the bed

- Steph: We lost andrew oh no

Christian: Um, we lost andrew ten minutes ago. Yeah when Brandon started singing

- Then Betsy sang a song by Bill Finn beautiful

- Steph: Wear your masks and eat pork on wednesdays

That was it!! I hope you enjoyed and people who were there if I got anything wrong that’s my human error it was hard to note everything I wanted to. Smooches! Byee

#falsettos #falsettos reunion #christian borle #andrew rannells #stephanie j block #betsy wolfe #tracie thoms #anthony rosenthal #brandon uranowitz #falsettoland #musical theatre #zoom reunion #marvin falsettos #whizzer brown #trina falsettos #cordelia falsettos #dr charlotte #jason falsettos #mendel weisenbachfeld #broadwayhd #broadway cares #broadway evolved

[laughriot]

Falsettos (2016): An Analysis

here is the video of this piece for those who would prefer to take this in through audio/visual means!!

Part One - Set Design

This production has set design by David Rockwell.

The set for Act 1 is made up of building blocks the actors use to create different songs/scenes set.

In the opening number, Four Jews in a Room Bitching it is brought out as one big block, made up of smaller pieces. Throughout the act, characters dismantle it and use pieces to build the set for specific songs. For example, in The Chess Game, it’s used to make a table and chairs that Whizzer and Marvin sit at to play chess. In Making a Home, blocks are used to create a doorway and a living room set up.

I believe this represents a few things;

- Firstly, I think it emphasises that for most of Act One, this family is just playing house. No one is saying what they really feel and everyone’s forcing this really stereotypical family dynamic to continue even though this family does not fit it at all.

- Secondly, I think it further symbolises the “tight-knit” family Marvin so desperately craves and the way he controls the people in his life; his need for things to go his way. It’s an image of Marvin’s wants (a perfect family and control), and just how unrealistic they are as we see this block being taken apart throughout the act.

- Finally, I think the way this original block is deconstructed as pieces are removed one-by-one represents the unravelling of the character’s emotions and lives as everything rushes to a breaking point and life as they know it falls apart around them.

I think this set design is a very nice nod to the original 90’s Broadway production set, as the original production had all of its set pieces on wheels which also allowed them to be manipulated to some degree by the actors.

Below are some pictures which show how these blocks were used throughout Act 1.

Moving from March of The Falsettos into Act Two, Falsettoland, realistic set and set dressings are introduced in addition to these blocks. By Days Like This, the set for Whizzer’s hospital room is made up almost entirely of real furniture.

In my opinion, this communicates not only the difference in genres between the two acts but also the fact that this is no longer just fun and games. It’s not truly fiction anymore. At the time Falsettoland is set (1981), and the time Falsettos first ran on Broadway (1991), the AIDS epidemic was a very real and very current issue. Whizzer's HIV/AIDS diagnosis is a reflection of the real world and many people both in the audience and in the cast, crew, etc will be able to attach his pain to real people and loss. Thus, the set no longer represents this fantasy dollhouse that these characters once lived in. This makes Whizzer's death much more hard-hitting. The realism of the hospital set prevents audiences from detaching from what is happening.

In Falsettoland - Reprise (the musical's final number) the large block from the opening is put back together, minus one piece which we see being used as Whizzer’s headstone. This shows that despite him being portrayed as an outsider earlier in the show, by the time of his death he had become an integral part of their tight-knit family. A part which, now that he has passed, will forever be noticeably missed.

One of my favourite uses of these blocks by the actors is in Act Two’s opening number Falsettoland/About Time the blocks are used to build three arches which the men stand in and subsequently break out of by toppling the structure. I believe this symbolises them finally rejecting the stereotypes and misguided ideals they have continued to abide by and/or push onto others. This is an important moment of growth for all of the men, but especially Marvin.

Below are images of the moments from Act Two which I have just discussed; (apologies for the quality of the last one)

#falsettos #falsettoland #march of the falsettos #the marvin trilogy #william finn #bill finn #james lapine #broadway #musicals #musical theatre #theatre #performing art #whizzer brown #whizzer falsettos #marvin falsettos #trina falsettos #mendel falsettos #mendel weisenbachfeld #jason falsettos #charlotte falsettos #cordelia falsettos #the lesbians from next door #andrew rannells #christian borle #stephanie j block #brandon uranowitz #anthony rosenthal #tracie thoms #betsy wolfe #david rockwell

[maybeeatspaghetti]

Hi! I've a question on the last ask you answered (the one with the different numbers from the ask game), and was curious as to what sort of research you do? Is it sometimes random facts/parts, or for specific things (like, as far as positions and other parts of smut scenes go)?

I do research for a lot of different things. It’s mostly for the smut, which you could probably guess, considering what I write, but I do research about other things too, like 1970s/1980s New York City gay culture, fashion, slang, books and magazines, shops, etc. I try to put little details in my writing to give them a little bit of realism so that these stories don’t exist in a vacuum; there are enough details to tie it to the real world, and so you could go Google something I mention and it would further give you a sense of place and a visualization, which you wouldn’t be able to get if I just made up names of magazines, for example, instead of seeking out real ones Whizzer and Marvin might have read, had they been real people living in NYC in that time period.

In terms of smut, this is more exhaustive and time consuming than researching little details of the time period. When I’m going about writing these fics, I do my best to 1) make everything as realistic as possible and 2) try to have the characters model good sexual practices—mainly the use of lube, consent, and proper sexual hygiene before, during, and after. I try to make these fics as accurate as I can so that if anyone takes anything away from these fics or learns anything, it’s good information and/or good practices. And this is why I do so much research for even the little things I don’t know or aren’t familiar with.

When I research something, I try to be as thorough as possible, and I have a list of steps so that I’m (hopefully) covering all my bases.

When I’m researching a specific act, I always look up:

How it’s done/how to do it safely

Positions it can be reasonably performed in

Articles (or reddit threads) where people describe what it feels like

Pictures/gifs of it to actually see how people move

That last step isn’t always necessary, but it can help; at the very basic level, seeing gifs or pictures helps me figure out how Whizzer and Marvin are going to move and where their hands are going to be.

Now, when I’m researching a particular sensation (like a ruined orgasm, for example, which I used in Unsatisfied), the steps are a bit different:

What is physically happening in the body when it happens

How to make it happen

What it feels like (again, thanks Reddit)

Duration/intensity of the sensation

Aftereffects (if there are any)

For acts, they’re somewhat cut and dry; for sensations, those are much less concrete because different people experience them differently or feel them more or less intensely or have different physical reactions (some people shake when they orgasm, other people stiffen up, other people curl their toes, other people writhe around, other people have very little noticeable reaction at all, etc. etc.), so I borrow from those how I want Marvin and Whizzer to feel or react in any given fic.

Just because I’ve done my research on something before doesn’t mean I shouldn’t keep researching it, because even though I know very well how to write a particular position, I don’t want all my fics that feature it to be written in the exact same way, so I often still research things I’m familiar with just to get some different ideas for approaching it.

So that’s my research method in a nutshell. This is why it sometimes takes a week or more to get another story written—because I want it to be as well-researched and accurately written as it possibly can be.

#asks #anon #smut writing #writing tips #writing advice #research

[thosemintcookies]

Hey just a reminder that you can write about whatever content you like. Dark topics and breaking down trauma literally is a good way to expand people's sense of empathy and also a way for victims to feel seen.

I will say that there is a problem sometimes with the attitude with which people write things. The presence of violence and sexual assault in certain creative circles on its face isn't a problem if tagged correctly and honestly might be a good indicator that some people find freedom in writing about such topics.

The attitude behind these things tho is where it gets problematic for me. There's the prevalence of eroticizing of non consent (which again in individual cases might be okay depending), the normalization of and sexualizing of manipulative people, the normalization of pedophilia and incest etc.

Again, I am anti censorship. You can't have a robust and healthy critique of racism without expressly stating the harms it inflicts on people. However. You also can't have a robust critique of racism if you're excusing or fetishizing it. It's not the content or the existence of underage sexuality as depicted in media I have a problem with because let's be honest, underage people do have libidos. But to be voyeuristic of it? To present it as titillating for an adult audience? It gets dicey. There's a difference between writing awkward teens fumbling with getting dates vs. Showing 16 year old characters played by 20 year old actors in their underwear.

A lot of my frustration with mainstream fan creation people is this conflating and strawmanning. It's not me saying certain ships shouldn't exist or that certain themes should be purged. But to treat the realm of fanfic and fanart as a free-for-all where you're allowed to find everything sexy is wrong.

There are laws protecting people and their bodily autonomy. We have these boundaries in larger society for reasons. If you get off on the dual toxic dynamic of a queer person being abused/a queer person being a SuperPredator maybe think about why. I'm not even asking you to stop. Just like. Why is it so important that you protect your ability to write about things that in real life would make you uncomfortable? Why are you more dismissive of something if it happens to people you can't immediately physically identify with? Are any of these perceptions filtering into your treatment of marginalized people in the real world?

One of the more pernicious things that isn't even sexual is the tendency to characterize poc as being "better than" or "more sensible" than white counterparts and thereby excluding poc from the action. As an Asian person, who has been on the receiving end of "positive" stereotypes let me tell you that all stereotypes are dehumanizing heuristics and excuses not to think about people as entire and whole, able to be flawed, able to have ugly emotions and complex joys.

In the same way, treating all male ships as inherently softer or cuter for the consumption of a mostly nonqueer audience is very toxic. Some people actually do suffer abuse by their LGBT partners. Being marginalized doesn't save you from being a bad person. Are we wanting to engage in these things cpmplexly? Do we fully understand the mortifying vulnerability of truly loving another person, beyond blushy first dates and feverish sexual encounters?

I understand that some things are a matter of personal taste and yeah, not everything has to be that deep. There are plenty of published books I could pick up and read. There are non romantic books and media I can get into (and I do! I'm not going to pretend like one person writing for fun should be held to the same standard as people working with publishers, editors, sensitivity readers etc)

But at the end of the day, people are correct. Amateur works are where Wierdness can flourish. How many healthy depictions of polyamorous relationships can you name in popular media? How many works are passionate about depicting even the nuanced hardships of interracial, or even interfaith relationships? How many stories have far too much in the way of corporate propaganda? Where else can you find works with niche playful anachronistic dialogue for works written hundreds of years ago?

These things can legitimately prove to be good outlets for creativity.

I don't know how it got to be this way, but I do think there is something wrong when the primary target for queer relationships turns out not to be queer people.

You know in falsettos Marvin and Whizzer have this wicked intense, sometimes toxic and infuriating relationship which is also full of real love? You know in angels in America where queer death and identity amongst the backdrop of repressive and progressive religious themes is tragic and transcendent? You know in, fucking cloudburst? Big Eden? The lived-in intimacy. The wanting the best for each other. The queer joy in finding your Person. Your People. Why isn't that people are vehemently defending their rights to produce...