The Earphones
/snippet for a different thing because i cant focus lol
"Sweet fucking Nayru, just get new earphones at that point–" Warriors says, once he sees the monstrosity that Wild pulled out from his backpack. It's an old peanut butter jar, with the label scratched off, and inside there's an old, battered pair of earphones. The poor thing has definitely seen better days, but right now, its wires are exposed, and the only reason it's holding itself together is a combination of white duct tape and band-aids. The thing smells of whatever the 2010s smells, combined with a little bit of moss.
He regrets telling Wild to just 'plug your headphones into my phone'. Should have uploaded that song to drive or something.
Wild, as usual, does not seem to care. "Look, the sound is really crisp with these, plus, it's from a brand that got discontinued last year."
"Wild, respectfully, what the fuck." Legend says once he takes his eyes from his bass. "Though, knowing Hyrule, I have seen worse."
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Stolkien Musical Competition AU: Come On
SOOOO the way it works is a little less America's Got Singing and more of a combination of the Carole and Tuesday contest and Sing where its more about putting on a good show to get the audience to pay attention week after week. Stan is still the lead of Crimson Dawn, but the members get shifted around and perform with other people for the sake of variety and to demonstrate various skills to the audience/judges.
This is how prettyboy pop singer Tolkien ends up singing lead on a punk song with Stan on guitar, Jimmy on drums, and Red on bass. What song is it? This one baby!
Tolkien: This is stupid, there's only two words in this song. What's the point of even having a lead singer? 😒 Its like someone chopped the chorus out of something else.
Kyle: WELL its the song we got the rights to. Lets take it from the top everyone!
They play it through and...its ass. Tolkien isn't leading the music at all and the brash rhythm is all over the place.
Red: This SUCKS. I should take lead on this!
Cartman: Nah, we got you doing a country song with Nelly this week, we can't feature you twice.
Red: FINNEEE but I'm gonna make that song SUPER gay. 😏
Kyle: Noted. We still need to uh...address some issues here.
Tolkien: Issues like what? 💢
Cartman: ...Hey Stan?
Stan: What? You want me to sing?
Tolkien: Be my fuckin' guest.
Kyle: NO, no, just...maybe you can offer some guidance here?
Stan: 🙄 Whatever...
Stan shows Tolkien about how to really *wail* without wrecking his voice similar to his death metal screams. They practice putting your whole body and energy into the delivery, and how to stay on beat even while EVERYTHINg is loud and messy and its a LOT for Tolkien to take in.
When he finally nails it in the first runthrough, he makes eye contact with Stan and its like Stan's guitar is answering Tolkien's vocals in an intense and entertaining back-and-forth of pure ROCK. 🤘
When the group performs it live in their monochromatic suits, for the entire duration no one can take their eyes off Tolkien. He's been the Solo Singer with a Backup Band before, but this is the first time he's seemed like a part of a band. In this story, this is the first time he really "gets" that aspect of performing live, and before this he maybe even wrote off Stan as more of a whiney punk who makes up for a lack of talent with volume. It's a good chance for them to see each other as something more than just a rival........ 👀
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this started as an incoherent rant in the server but now I'm obsessed so have a Wereshifer Miles AU one-shot (tl;dr: Edgeworth shrinks to about 6 inches every time the sun goes down)
set after the timeskip in AA5. Edgeworth and Wright live together. Edgeworth's nightly shrinking is part of their routine at this point.
the part with Phoenix getting back on the couch and talking about how Miles makes him feel is a bit that @callie-flower came up with in the server and I really wanted to use that ahh ;;;
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They were sitting on the couch after work. It was a nice day, with the late evening sun still filling the room with a golden glow. In the back, a record player was playing a slow, soothing album.
Suddenly, Phoenix shot up. He looked at Edgeworth with eager eyes.
"Wright, what is-"
"Dance with me."
"W...Now? The sun is almost down, I don't think- h-hey!"
Before Edgeworth could say more, Phoenix pulled him from the couch.
"Just for a bit. Come on, we rarely do this."
Edgeworth stared at Phoenix for a few seconds before smiling and complying to his request.
"Alright, just for a bit then."
They held each other and slow-danced to the music playing in the room for a few minutes, relishing the closeness of the other.
"...Phoenix, it's time, we should st-"
But Phoenix pulled Edgeworth closer, locking eyes with him.
"Phoe- please I'm already losing height."
"Just a little more, Miles."
Edgeworth was making a second attempt to get back to sitting down in a safer spot. But Phoenix wasn't about to let go.
Then it clicked.
"Oh."
Edgeworth relaxed. They kept dancing, although Phoenix had to adjust the way he held his partner as he slowly shrunk down. Phoenix realised it must have looked somewhat silly, but he didn't care.
Within a minute, Edgeworth was too small to even hold Phoenix in his arms. Yet Phoenix was not ready to let go. He picked Edgeworth up the moment he was small enough. Edgeworth looked at him with surprised eyes. He lost the last few inches of his height whilst being held in Phoenix's hands, who had never held Edgeworth while he shrunk before. The experience took them both a little aback.
"I could hold you like this forever, you know." Phoenix said, breaking a short silence.
Edgeworth wasn't sure what to say. He adjusted his position to lay more stable in Phoenix's hands. Then he looked up. Their eyes locked again and Edgeworth took in the sight of Phoenix's face so up close.
He let out a sigh. "Your freckles are exceptionally visible from here." he said half seriously, to break the awkward tension he felt.
Phoenix's heart skipped a beat. Now he was the one who was at a loss of words. He'd held Edgeworth before at nights, but that was mostly to help him get around the house. The sight of his partner laying down in his hands. So small and fragile. And Miles literally trusted him with his whole life in this moment.
Eventually he managed to utter: "God, I want to kiss you so badly right now."
"You- What now?"
"... please?"
Again, Edgeworth was unsure what to say. What was Phoenix thinking? This was one of the worst moments for Phoenix to play the romantic fool.
Wasn't it?
...
Edgeworth smiled.
"Okay."
"Wait really?"
He stood up in Phoenix's palms and nodded. "Really."
Phoenix didn't wait until Edgeworth could change his mind. He brought his hands closer to his face as gently as possible. His lips covered Edgeworth's entire face, and Edgeworth tried his best not to fall over. To keep his balance, he wrapped his arms around Phoenix's cheeks, and kissed him back as well as he could despite his size.
Phoenix gently drew back his hands, which made Edgeworth fall over on his palms. As he laid there, staring at Phoenix, he smiled.
"The song stopped playing already, you know."
"I don't care." As Phoenix said that, he cupped Edgeworth against his chest and moved to music that was not longer playing. Edgeworth listened to Phoenix's heartbeat and relaxed.
When Phoenix was done, he fell back on the couch, keeping Edgeworth close to his chest.
"Do you hear that Miles? This is how you make me feel all the time."
Edgeworth moved to lay on his back on Phoenix's chest and let out a heavy sigh. He never thought of shrinking every night as anything positive. It was always a burden to him, and now he often felt like a burden to Phoenix. Being showered in affection like this felt...good.
Really good.
Maybe this wasn't so bad after all.
They sat like this for a while, both contemplating what just happened, until one of them spoke up:
"We could do this more often."
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oh the broadway world review of summer stock (a) loved it as much or more than anyone (b) has as much or more info than anyone and (c) generally has the most vivacity thus far
Summer Stock made its world premiere at The Goodspeed Opera House to a most deserving enthusiastic standing ovation. Based on the 1950 MGM film starring Hollywood legends Judy Garland and Gene Kelly, Summer Stock is a spectacular production with phenomenal dancing, feel-good music, and a sweet story, all modernized for today’s audiences.
Audiences will recognize and love hearing classic songs by Irving Berlin and from The Great American Songbook, including “Happy Days are Here Again”, “Accentuate the Positive”, “I’m Always Chasing Rainbows”, “It’s Only a Paper Moon”, “Me and My Shadow”, “Red Hot Mamma”, “’Til We Meet Again", and “You Wonderful You”.
Summer Stock’s writer, Cheri Steinkellner, takes the original film story to a whole new level that both contemporary and classic theater goers will absolutely adore. Steinkellner provides additional lyrics to upgrade the story to first class. It’s hard to believe that she “got the call” to write Summer Stock in October, completed the workshop draft by March, and had the rehearsal draft ready by June for a July opening. Steinkellner clearly works well under pressure - Summer Stock is a diamond.
In the Writer’s Notes, Steinkellner elaborates on the restrictions of bringing the film to stage (like how heavy farm machinery wouldn’t fit up on the Goodspeed stage) and how she tackled answering the many questions that the original film glossed over: “Why is a Shakespearean matinee idol starring in a musical in a barn? What happens when you make show-people wake up at sunrise to muck out the stalls?” and more. She repositioned and repurposed the film’s original songs like “Howdy Neighbor” and “Dig for Your Dinner”, so the classic elements that film fans are looking for are still there - only, frankly, much much better. Lastly, she addresses the challenge of “crafting a [contemporary] story to support a diverse cast of characters with intention, authenticity, and care.” Steinkellner rose to the challenge, knocked it out of the park, and created a great musical in record time.
The story is simple and sweet. Set just after World War II, we meet Jane Falbury (Danielle Wade), a doting daughter working the family farm with her father, Lt. Henry “Pop” Falbury (Stephen Lee Anderson). The Falbury Farm is in trouble thanks to the devious and ambitious Margaret Wingate (Veanne Cox), who has grand aims for a monopoly over the Connecticut River Valley. Scheming with her naive son, Orville (Will Roland), they will stop at nothing to own the farm. Meanwhile, Jane’s showgirl sister, Gloria (Arianna Rosario), has moved to The Big Apple to make it on Broadway. She wins a spot in the chorus line of Joe Ross’ (Corbin Bleu) brand new show. With his sidekick and music director, Phil Filmore (Gilbert L. Bailey II) in tow and a Shakespearean star, Montgomery Leach, ready to take center stage, they hit a snag when they lose their rehearsal space. Gloria suggests uprooting the show to rehearse in her family’s barn. Jane, who is fresh out of farm hands, reluctantly agrees to let the actors stay in exchange for earning their keep. The company’s tight harmonies might not charm Jane at first, but they certainly had us swooning. I won’t spoil the entire plot, but will say that hilarity ensues, hearts flutter, dreams are realized, and it’s wonderful.
When I first heard about Summer Stock, I cynically thought that it felt too familiar. The show is set on a Connecticut farm whose owners have fallen on hard times and risk losing their livelihood. They turn to their Broadway friends, who are amidst the usual uphill battle of making it big in show business, and agree to put on a brand new production in the barn to raise funds to save the farm. It’s based on the film of the same name, features music by Irving Berlin, and includes incredible tap numbers, and spotlights America’s sweetheart Corbin Bleu. Hearing that alone, I’d think this was a copy/paste of Tony Award-nominated Holiday Inn: The New Irving Berlin Musical, which opened at The Goodspeed in 2014 and went to Broadway in 2016.
We’ve seen a number of Irving Berlin musicals, including White Christmas, and the most recent Broadway production Nice Work if You Can Get It, starring Kelli O’Hara and Matthew Broderick. So, what more is there to add to this Broadway subgenre? If you’d asked me before, I would argue there’s “Nothing More to Say”. I was very wrong. Summer Stock raises the bar with phenomenal choreography, clever storytelling and humor, beautiful orchestrations, and unparalleled performers.
Speaking of unparalleled performers, the cast is perfection. There’s not a single throwaway line or character. They’re all exquisite gems and I’m running out of words to compliment them all. The “city mice” dancers and ensemble features Erika Amato, Hannah Balagot, DeShawn Bowens, Ronnie S. Bowman Jr., Emily Kelly, Francesca Mancuso, Tommy Martinez, Corinne Munsch, Gregory North, Kaylee Olson, Jack Sippel, and Cayel Tregeagle.
Danielle Wade sweetly croons just like Judy Garland and swept audiences off their feet. As I left the theater, I overheard two ladies praising Wade for her stupendous performance, saying it was perfect likeness of Garland, yet even more meaningful.
Arianna Rosario, as the sugary sweet sister, is absolutely delightful. Stephen Lee Anderson, as the veteran and father, tugs our heart strings. Gilbert L. Bailey II and Will Roland had the crowd roaring with laughter as the feisty music director and innocent corporate heir.
Veanne Cox, as the melodramatic mother and CEO of Wingate Agricultural Corporate, had the crowd roaring with laughter from the moment she spoke her first line. Not to be outdone, J. Anthony Crane, as the over-the-top Shakespearean star, brought down the house with his entrance alone. Together, Cox and Crane generate instant heat, which is especially appropriate since they rock the stage with Red Hot Mamma. The cheeky, interspersed Shakespearean innuendo is fast-paced, clever, and had the audience hooting and hollering. I would see the show again for this duo.
Last, but far from least, Corbin Bleu, as the show’s director, gives the performance of a lifetime. Bleu radiates pure joy and leads with heart, inviting his scene partners to shine with him. Audiences instantly fell in love with his gorgeous, velvety voice, and, understandably, swooned. Bleu previously won the Chita Rivera Award for Outstanding Male Dancing in a Broadway Show for his portrayal in Irving Berlin’s Holiday Inn, and his transcendent tapping in Summer Stock shows he’s not stopping there. Bleu’s dancing is out of this world! You can’t miss his charming and virtuosic spin on Gene Kelly’s iconic solo dance, featuring the world’s most unexpected dance partner. Corbin Bleu is a national treasure.
The 8-piece orchestra, lead by Goodspeed’s resident music director Adam Souza, performs the remarkable orchestrations, by Doug Besterman, beautifully. The score is demanding, but the musicians don’t let us see them sweat.
As much as I’m gushing, I would recommend shifting the show to one hour earlier and give it a little trim. Not a haircutter’s inch, but a discreet tidy-up. As it turns out, I was in slight agreement with the obnoxious subscribers behind me, who disrupted a precious moment to voice their complaints, “This is two hours and forty minutes? Way too long!” I nearly turned to fisticuffs in defense of this phenomenal cast, but chose to deliver an icy, yet effective, glare. I digress, but Goodspeed subscribers are truly spoiled with top-rate performers straight from the Broadway stage. In any case, we could use a couple more developmental scenes to fully flesh out the plot, and I’d be willing to sacrifice by shaving a bit off some of the longer dance numbers (“Everybody Step” and “Dig For Your Dinner”) and songs. (Not too much! Just an inch! And don’t dare recast any characters!)
That isn’t to say that the dance performances weren’t epic: Summer Stock has the best dancing I have ever seen, hands down. The virtuosic ensemble, lovingly called “city mice”, perfectly deliver wildly acrobatic displays all with impossibly high-energy and make it look easy.
Director and choreographer, Donna Feore, has made an unforgettable, magnificent Goodspeed debut. Feore makes use of every inch of the stage, making it feel larger than life, and her attention to detail is unsurpassed. The choreography is out of this world!
Wilson Chin, scenic designer, set the stage beautifully. The Technicolor New England farm-turned-theater is framed with classic red-sided barn, delicate florals climbing the walls, and hurricane lanterns lovingly displayed as accent pieces.
Summer Stock is Goodspeed’s best original production ever. The 12, which opens next, has very big shoes to fill.
Summer Stock has its eyes set on Broadway. Does Summer Stock deserve a Broadway run? Absolutely. In this critic’s opinion, it couldn’t get there soon enough. Perhaps my favorite aspect of the production were the many comedic theater flourishes. Broadway audiences will cry with laughter when they watch the city mice (actors) learn how to play the part of farmhands: “What is the farmer’s motivation?” “E-I, E-I!” Frankly, I want an original cast album yesterday. Finally, when it opens on Broadway, you’ll wish you had seen it at The Goodspeed first.
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