Just Like It Was Before from Bandstand is SO GOOD because so much art from that era romanticized the idea of a post war-life and Bandstand takes that and then contrasts it with the gut-wrenching reality that soldiers were coming home from a harrowing and traumatic experience with scars both visible and invisible and with the loss of so many others in the war. It shows how hard everyone's trying but they're just failing because the goal isn't attainable. You can't send boys to battle and expect them to come back the same. It's fair that people just wanted things to go back to normal, but that was never going to happen.

literally same exact energy

adam stanheight in saw the musical has the same vibes as donny novitski in bandstand

Me trying to explain Bandstand to anyone: A family isn't always your blood. It isn't just a mother and a father. Sometimes a family is a depressed bisexual war veteran, the widow of his best friend, an alcoholic double bass player who likes Shakespeare, a drummer with memory problems, a gay lawyer who likes checkered trousers, a divorced dad of two who has OCD and a trumpet player with anger issues.

Literally anyone else:...what?

THE EPILOGUE FOR BANDSTAND GOES OVER A SPAN OF AT LEAST FOUR YEARS? HELLO?

The beginning scene takes place a year after the events of the radio contest. We know Act One and the majority of Act Two (everything but the Epilogue) take place in 1945, so that means the Epilogue starts in '46 (see image below).

But we suddenly jump forward FOUR YEARS to not only when The Rainbow Room has opened again, but they've ALREADY PERFORMED THERE?

That's it. That's the post. The band is still together after, like, five+ years. This is fine. This didn't make me almost start crying out of happiness. (<- complete and utter sarcasm.)

The band is so happy together... Oh, they're such a found family...

Johnny Simpson edit

bandstand end of act 1. when the producer of the contest tells them they have to pay their own way to new york and there's one abrupt moment where the lighting changes to this stark spotlight, and we hear a click like a gun's safety going off, and then the scene's regular lighting comes back, but it's in that singular moment that donny feels the entire dream crumbling to dust around him. that is the breaking point. he has worked tirelessly, on no sleep, poured his blood, sweat, and tears into this contest, the song, the band, put everything he has into making this fantasy a reality for michael because they swore they'd do it and michael didn't make it back but donny brought the dream back for the both of them and after all of that, ALL of that. they paywall the goddamn contest and for a minute, it's over. it's just over. the unspoken promise donny had been stoking all this time to keep michael's spirit alive with music - it's all gone. donny is still letting michael down.

and it is so unforgivable a thought that he outright refuses it.

Why isn’t the bandstand fandom bigger :( the proshot is literally free on YouTube plz join me in reviving this fandom I want people to talk about my fave fictional veterans with

not ten minutes into The Heart of Rock and Roll Corey Cott’s character is all “everyone needs music! music is life!” and I thought, “Donny Novitski, is that you?”

then in the resolution he’s telling a girl “what we feel for each other is real” and I’m like “Donny? Novitski? Is that you?”

anyway you can see this man sing in real life for $25 during previews so why not, nyc

rip the donny nova band you would have loved too late by the happy fits

Nick: Gang, get in here. We’re going to New York City!

Julia and Wayne, confused: New York City?

Donny, excited: New York City?!

Nick: New York City!

Davy, shouting from the other room: SHUT THE FUCK UP!

I love how Donny Nova is just constantly looking a step away from sobbing he really is a pathetic wet cat of a man isn’t he but he’s being so brave about it

screaming, crying, pulling my hair out and begging for a Bandstand revival

i miss bandstand:(((

the piano man by Billy Joel is so bandstand coded and in this essay I will-

It's that time at night where I remember this scene and think about how Bandstand deserved so much better. There is so much characterization and emotion in this single moment. The lighting and choreography rips my soul out and then makes it sing.

I wasn't even in the fandom when it was on Broadway/touring, and I miss this show so much.