#Sense and Sensibility 1981

[thatscarletflycatcher]

WHO HAD A SECRET RELATIONSHIP WITH WHOM?!

@miraculoushedgehog replied to your post: I need this info on 81’ Thomas 😂

In Sense and Sensibility 1981, the servants of Barton cottage are not ones coming with the Dashwoods from Norland; whether sir John sent them or they are just a fixture of the place, the series doesn't tell us, but they do get a grand introduction:

Thomas, who is doing some gardening as he awaits the Dashwoodses, with as much or more enthusiasm as Mr Collins' noticing Lady Catherine's carriage, tells the maid when he sees the carriage:

Darcy cannot fix the hour or the spot? Skill issue. This man certainly can, as he ran inside, put on a coat and proceeded to greet them:

What a meet cute! Ma Dashwood is not at all displeased:

She has not withdrawn her hand! she smiles at him!

I know who this woman was voting for on that tournament.

Once she moves past him, he pointedly looks at her as she makes her way to the front door, and then adds:

He introduces Susan, and then:

He's taken with her!

You'd say, Scarlet, you are reading too much into this! these are just some perfunctory introductory lines!

Well, you are wrong, because this sequence hasn't ended yet! I'm tempted to think this is the servant character with the most lines in any Austen adaptation. Which reinforces my theory that this is done ON PURPOSE :P

He shows her the different rooms, and then:

He smiles at her approval, and clearly attempts to prolong their conversation with:

Realizing perhaps this is pushing his luck, as she doesn't answer, he adds:

This is not the last time we see him in this very episode, as he comes in to assuage Lady Middleton's fears that her son might be injured, and informing all that only his cucumber frame has been destroyed, showing with that his great presence of mind.

Episode 2. Tom, who introduced himself last episode as doing gardening and odd jobs, has been ascended to doorman:

After we meet Willoughby, the same way Andrew Davies treated us to some wet shirt Edward, we are treated to some Tom doing physical labour, clearly highlighting how romance is blossoming in parallel between so similar a mother and a daughter:

He stops to listen to Marianne and Willoughby sing a song:

The face of a man in love!

The Queen Maab scene follows this one, and then, as Marianne and Willoughby are singing again another day, what do we see first as background to their singing?

Ma Dashwood! Carrying flowers! This is such an obvious yet subtle romantic parallel. This is the kind of soft romantic storytelling I'm here for.

That's Willoughby's carriage as he's brought back Marianne from Allenham. Would Thomas be complete if he didn't love horses?

Episode 3: We open with some Thomas working in the background:

So that we not forget his real relevance in this story's subtext.

Ma Dashwood not even trying to be subtle.

Another Tom cameo:

And another:

Ma Dashwood's reaction upon hearing that Mrs Jennings has invited Elinor and Marianne to go to London with her:

It is worth mentioning that in this adaptation, there's no Margaret. Ma Dashwood is not sick. There's absolutely no reason for her not to be invited, so why didn't Mrs Jennings invite her? Well, of course, because with her nose for romance she's sniffed her secret out! Ma Dashwood does then demolish all Elinor's objections, is truly overjoyed at the idea of being left behind, and explicitly mentions her having Tom and Susan with her as a reason for Elinor and Marianne to go with a clean conscience.

Ma Dashwood's face after her daughters leave the room:

During episodes 4-5, the series of course focuses on our main heroines in London and Cleveland, leaving us to imagine the full blossoming of this romance happening at Barton cottage, and all the angst and heartbreak that their class separation imposes on these middle aged lovers. Ma Dashwood may be a romantic, but she understands that her daughters come first.

As soon as we return to Barton in episode 6, so returns our favorite gardener-doorman-oodjobman Tom! Without seeing him, Ma Dashwood recognizes his way of shutting the front door, and calls his name, and then smiles at his answering:

♪ So this is love... ♫ (notice Elinor drawing Edward's portrait)

(Then we get the "Thomas tells them Mr Ferrars is married" scene)

Then this scene follows:

It's a really clever piece of writing, where the writers both show us the grown intimacy, respect and appreciation between them, and give us a nice metaphor, where the flowers of the hedgerow, that represent Tom, are picked by Ma Dashwood, beautiful in her eyes, and made fit for polite society. Alas, the crucial question remains: how can they love be, without ruining Marianne and Elinor's prospects?

As we all know, Edward comes and proposes to Elinor, and marries her. We are then treated to a visit of colonel Brandon, where Ma Dashwood sees how much Marianne's feelings and attitudes towards the colonel have changed.

The last line and frame of the adaptation belongs to Ma Dashwood:

That would, to any distracted viewer, seem very odd. Why that? And why that line? But for the attentive viewer who has been able to piece together the little drama behind the curtains, it's patently clear: she has realized that Marianne will marry Brandon, and once that happens, she will be free to have her own second happily ever after herself, with Tom, the gardener of her heart.

#ask #kajaono #Jane Austen #Sense and Sensibility #Sense and Sensibility 1981 #humor #things people are missing out on by not watching the older adaptations :P

[hotjaneaustenmenpoll]

I don't know if this counts as propaganda, but here it goes:

For some unfathomable reason, Robert Swann (1981 Brandon) was featured on the cover of the Persuasion 1971 DVD:

I like to believe they thought he'd improve the appeal of the adaptation :P

He's also the only Brandon so far that was the character's age at the time of release (36).

He was also tall -most of the houses used in the adaptation had lower ceilings, which meant he had to duck doorframes most of the time. It derived into a watching game with friends titled "Colonel Brandon vs. Doorframes". We all cheer when he finally meets one tall enough for him.

Colonel Brandon (2008) Vs Colonel Brandon (1981)

#this is definitely propaganda #colonel brandon 1981 #he could still win it! #propaganda #sense and sensibility 1981 #colonel brandon

[strangelock221b]

Fanny warning Mrs. Dashwood that Elinor isn't good enough for Edward. This scene is always a good one -- few scenes make me hate Fanny more than this one. Mrs. D standing up for her wedding gifts makes me root for her.

This is my fourth S&S adaptation and I'm finally just going to say it -- Mr. Dashwood was a shitty father and husband. When couples wed back then, there was normally a contract written up specifying what money a widow and the children would have when the husband dies. The fact that Mr. and Mrs. Dashwood married without this is, frankly, odd, and Mr. Dashwood never setting aside money for his daughters' dowries puts him in the same Bad Father category as Mr. Bennet. (Mr. and Mrs. Bennet didn't have the contract either, so I'm wondering what Austen was trying to say with that.) I don't know if it's specified how much income Mr. Dashwood had but honestly, he still should have saved something. John taking it all and leaving his half-sisters penniless is just reprehensible, but since the law is on his side, the fault lies with their father. For a man who could supposedly afford it to not have dowries for his daughters is, frankly, scandalous.

And don't say it's because of the entailment -- the entailment was about the estate -- the manor house and the land only. Money is always a separate thing. (Why else would there be destitute nobles desperate to marry American heiresses in the early 1900s? They needed money so they could afford the upkeep of their estates.) Even if Mr. Dashwood couldn't divide his money in his will, he still could have given the girls dowries while he was still alive. Something is really weird about the Dashwood family fortune.

There's no Margaret in this. Is '08 the only S&S to not leave out one or more characters? I haven't gotten to her yet but could we trade Lady Middleton for Margaret? Give me an overenergetic preteen over a woman completely lacking in inner resources any day.

#sense and sensibility #sense and sensibility 1981

[lands-of-fantasy]

Sense and Sensibility

Classic and loose adaptions from 1971, 1981, 1995, 2000, 2008, 2011(x2)

The first of Jane Austen’s novels, first published in 1811, has had many adaptions over the years. The ones pictures above are detailed below:

Sense and Sensibility (1971 Miniseries)

4 episodes x 45 min Written by Denis Constanduros, directed by David Giles

Starring Joanna David as Elinor Dashwood, Ciaran Madden as Marianne Dashwood, Robin Ellis as Edward Ferrars, Richard Owens as Colonel Brandon, Clive Francis as John Willoughby, among others.

Sense and Sensibility (1981 Miniseries)

7 episodes x 25 min Written by Alexander Baron, directed by Rodney Bennett

Starring Irene Richard as Elinor Dashwood, Tracey Childs as Marianne Dashwood, Bosco Hogan as Edward Ferrars, Robert Swann as Colonel Brandon, Peter Woodward as John Willoughby, among others.

Sense and Sensibility (1995 Film)

Written by Emma Thompson, directed by Ang Lee

Starring Emma Thompson as Elinor Dashwood, Kate Winslet as Marianne Dashwood, Hugh Grant as Edward Ferrars, Alan Rickman as Colonel Brandon, Greg Wise as John Willoughby, among others.

Kandukondain Kandukondain (I Have Found It) (2000 Film)

Indian Tamil-language musical film. Loose adaption set in modern India Written by Rajiv Menon and Sujatha, directed by Rajiv Menon

Starring Tabu as Sowmya (Elinor), Aishwarya Rai as Meenakshi (Marianne), Ajith Kumar as Manohar (Edward), Mammootty as Major Bala (Brandon), Abbas as Srikanth (Willoughby), among others.

Only Meenakshi, Manohar and Srikanth have singing parts (Sowmya appears in a few musical numbers).

Sense and Sensibility (2018 Miniseries)

3 episodes x 50 min Written by Andrew Davies, directed by John Alexander

Starring Hattie Morahan as Elinor Dashwood, Charity Wakefield as Marianne Dashwood, Dan Stevens as Edward Ferrars, David Morrissey as Colonel Brandon, Dominic Cooper as John Willoughby, among others.

From Prada to Nada (2011 Film)

Loose adaption set in modern Los Angeles, USA Written by Fina Torres, Luis Alfaro, Craig Fernandez; directed by Angel Gracia

Starring Camilla Belle as Nora Dominguez (Elinor), Alexa Vega as Mary Dominguez (Marianne), Nicholas D'Agosto as Edward Ferris, Wilmer Valderrama as Bruno (Brandon), Kuno Becker as Rodrigo Fuentes (Willoughby), among others.

Scents and Sensibility (2011 TV Film)

Loose adaption set in modern US Written by Jennifer Jan, Brittany Wiscombe; directed by Brian Brough

Starring Ashley Williams as Elinor Dashwood, Marla Sokoloff as Marianne Dashwood, Brad Johnson as Edward Farrirs, Nick Zano as Brandon Hurst, Jason Celaya as John Willoughby, among others.

*****

Personal favorites: 2008, then 1995.

#sense and sensibility #period drama #elinor dashwood #marianne dashwood #sense and sensibility 95 #sense and sensibility 2008 #jane austen adaptations #edward ferrars #colonel brandon #I have found it #from prada to nada #kandukondain kandukondain #scents and sensibility #sense and sensibility 1981 #sense and sensibility 1971

[thelastofthebookworms]

Persuasion adaptations' poll

Emma adaptations' poll

P&P adaptations' poll

#polls #jane austen #sense and sensibility #s&s #elinor and marianne take barton #project dashwood #1995 sense and sensibility #2008 sense and sensibility #Kandukondain Kandukondain #i have found it #1981 sense and sensibility #stage adaptations

[whitelilyofrohan]

Marianne and the Colonel!!❤️❤️❤️

#sense and sensibility #sense and sensibility 2008 #1995 #1971 #1981

[iconuk01]

Pouches - Who's to blame (Not entirely serious)

Now, we remember that the king of the super pouches is Cable, and for good reason... Since his intro in 1990 he has tended to be more than slightly... pouch intensive

This isn't even a spoof cover, it's an accurate representation of his costume at the time.

But did he START the trend?

I think not.

Leaving aside Batman from the 1966 series, who had hefty pouches in his belt...

Though still not remotely large enough for some of the stuff he randomly produced from it, even if it DOES fold up... sort of.

But I digress....

I did consider the Silver Age bat villain Cluemaster

But those are specifically "plastic-glass pellets" containing assorted chemical weapons, like explosives, gas, acids and the like, so not sure they count.

It's been suggested that one of the first in the modern era to develop this was Longshot in 1986, when he did indeed have pouches on his belt, because artist Art Adams thought he needed practically-sized pouches to carry things in.

But even then are there MANY pouches? His bandolier was to store his throwing knives for easy access, so weren't pouches per se.

So technically, the first X-Men character to really lay into the pouches side of things isn't Cable, not by a long shot... it's this guy, slightly later in 1986

So Doug Ramsey was leading the field of poucher-y in the X-Verse side of things.

Just look at that vest and belt, LOADED and lined with pouches, and we never even find out what's in them... Though I think it would include pens, pencils, notepaper, some money, spare keys to the Xavier school, first-aid kit, lock picks (because he's always wanted to carry lockpicks), string (Everyone should carry string), breath mints and other things a relatively sensible teenager would want to be sure he was carrying if he had the room in his outfit and wasn't given to cargo shorts!

And yet, there are other contenders, so let's work backwards...

Also from 1986, Batman (again) from "The Dark Knight Returns" where even his BELT looks to be on a course of serious steroids!

And in 1983 we got this stylish new costume retconned into the history of the Golden Age Tarantula in All-Star Squadron who, up until this point, wore a purple and yellow spandex outfit that was, oncufsingly, identical to the Golden Age Sandman's spandex costume outfit.

Notice that he has rings of pouches on both boots, where he keeps things like spare cash in case he needs to hire a taxi and probably some spare ammo for his wirepoon gun.

But I think I've found patient zero as, from 1981's New Teen Titans #3. we have the inventor and technologist par excellence, the man who would be known (Eventually) as Mikron O'Geneus, though he would, perhaps thankfully, becomes better known by his codename:

GIZMO!

Look, even his LOGO has pouches!

In fairness, given his speciality is creating techno-widgets and devices out of other technology, him carrying dozens of gadgets and components makes a lot of sense, to the extent that he even manages to carry MORE weapons than Robin's utility belt (Which is TARDIS like in and of itself)!

So I think we have a winner!

Gizmo started the modern pouch trend!

If anyone can find earlier/other contenders, then please feel free to add them!

#pouches all the way down #cable #nathan summers #batman 66 #bruce wayne #cluemaster #arthur brown #longshot #cypher #doug ramsey #tarantula #john law #gizmo #mikron o'geneus #robin #dick grayson

[mademoiselle-red]

Eulogy (a TC fic)

“We are gathered here today to honor the life of our dear friend, Emily Nora Adrian. Emily was a woman of courage and compassion, who found her calling in medicine. She enjoyed a successful, four decade career, beginning as a nurse in training in an E.M.S. Hospital during the war, and eventually taking the position of Head Nurse at the Bristol General. In her many years of service, both within the halls of the hospital and in her devotion to community and friends, Emily touched many lives. One of the lives she touched was mine.”

“I first met Emily in the summer of 1940, when she was still a nurse in training at that E.M.S. hospital where I was a patient, freshly evaluated from Dunkirk. Our paths crossed when I was wheeled out of the operating room and she lent me a sympathetic hand to hold as I came off the morphine and rambled on about foolish things. We struck up a friendship, of the casual, transient sort that young people thrown together into similar circumstances often did during the war.”

“Emily always said that there is a right time and a right place for people to meet each other, and the war wasn’t simply wasn’t our time. Because you see, when Emily and I met in 1940, we thought we ought to marry each other, and neither of us found the prospect enticing, but we were both loathe to show it. We believed we were alone in our queerness. And in our awkwardness and anxiety, we began to avoid each other, in the end, not knowing the other felt the same way. But I like to think that we’d recognized something familiar in each other that summer, and it was that shared sensibility that drew us unconsciously together.”

“When I was transferred away to the Bridstow general hospital in the autumn of 1940, it seemed like that would be the end of our acquaintance. And for over four decades, we heard and saw nothing of each other, until our paths crossed again, over four decades later, in 1981.”

“We became reacquainted again when I retired from my job and started volunteering at the Bridstow Switchboard, which Emily and her partner, Babs Whitely, had founded in 1977. It was a confidential helpline that provided counsel, information, and emergency shelter for gays and lesbians, primarily youth who were rejected by their families. Emily and I got to know each other very well this time around, and had quite the laugh over our youthful misunderstandings.”

“I think Emily would agree if I were to say that our friendship truly began in the winter of the 1981, when we met as individuals who knew who we were and what we wanted to do with it. I was searching for a sense of continuity and purpose after retiring from my career. Emily wanted to make a difference.”

“In 1985, she helped organize the Bridstow Lesbian Line, which collected blood donations to provide an undeniable community service and support the gay men who were being left out of the transfusion services. She was also deeply involved in ACT UP Bridstow, tirelessly raising funds for AIDS research and programs to bring food, necessities, and friendship to those too ill to care for themselves.”

“Emily explained to me once, that because she could not go back to the home she came from, it felt especially important to preserve and recreate the comforts and pastimes that made one feel at home. She had been an avid tennis player since she first learned to walk, and had in fact chosen her house based on its proximity to the tennis court. She was also a great host of garden parties. Babs was the one who did the actual gardening, but Emily welcomed each spring and summer with the most charming tea parties, proudly showing off both Babs’ work and her own new culinary experiments.”

“Those are the memories I will cherish the most as I miss my friend. We are parted once again, this time by the final barrier. So rest well on the other side, Emily. And until we meet again, Goodbye.”

#the charioteer #fic

[meggiscat]

rules: seven comfort films, seven people

tagged by @lakanakana !

i want to preface this by saying that i am NOT a movie girlie and this list was not easy to come up with 😭

1. One Stormy Night (2005)

the story of a wolf and a goat who run away together, this is one of those movies i saw when i was younger and just never stopped thinking about... not only is it really gorgeous to watch but i find the plucky main characters really charming! a feel-good movie all around

2. Wolf Children (2012)

i come back to this movie once every couple years and it kills me, KILLS me i say!!! so so beautiful and bittersweet and makes me want to call my mom. i really need to draw fanart sometime soon

3. Tao Tao (1981)

this is only a comfort movie for about the first 20 minutes and after that it gets devastating, but i really enjoy the artistry that went into this, it’s really a pleasure to watch even as an adult :’^) this also was 100% not the filmmakers’ intention but it gave me some sort of queer awakening as a kid lol

4. Kiki’s Delivery Service (1989)

i’m allowing myself ONE ghibli film cause otherwise they would take up the whole list. so good and cozy and extremely foundational to me when i was a young artist, the ending makes me cry every time

5. Comet in Moominland (1992)

i watched this so many times as a child that parts of it are engraved in my brain, even as i rewatch it now it feels like a world that i could escape to... i love the sensibilities and sense of humor in moomins and i really want to read the novel version of this some day

6. Joulutarina (2007)

the quintessential christmas movie i watch with my mom every year, the finnish setting has such a homey feel to me 🥹 also gave me some insane mcms as a child

7. The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (2013)

i first checked this out years ago because i was a fan of José Gonzalez and if there’s anything this movie has got going for it it’s the damn soundtrack!! a bit of a mixed bag otherwise but somehow it just speaks to my soul, especially where i am currently in life. he’s just like me fr 😔

@good-then-dont @jokikana @unihuppias @solkattunge @wifeman @cleardishwashers @lynvens feel free to do this if you want to!

#txt

[thatscarletflycatcher]

Someone uploaded this VHS recording of the 1981 Sense and sensibility to the Internet Archive.

#Jane Austen #Sense and Sensibility #Sense and Sensibility 1981

[hotjaneaustenmenpoll]

#colonel Brandon #sense and sensibility #sense and sensibility 2007 #sense and sensibility 1981 #hotjaneaustenmenpoll #round one #David Morrisey #Colonel Brandon (2007) Vs Colonel Brandon (1981) #Jane Austen

[strangelock221b]

E3 now. "She is still crying. When will she ever stop?" Please, this is Marianne we're talking about -- she'll cry until she's dehydrated, drink some water, then the cycle will repeat. :P

Mrs. Dashwood has no backbone, honestly. Elinor is the parent in this family, not her, and frankly, that's a toxic arrangement. Elinor shouldn't be the one to keep the family above water and out of scandal. Yes, Mrs. D's in mourning BUT SO IS ELINOR. Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if Elinor was the parent even before Mr. Dashwood died.

Can someone PLEASE buy the Dashwood ladies a spyglass so they'll know who a visitor is before they actually arrive and not get their damn hopes up (looking at you, Marianne)?

Edward's back. He addresses the girls as "Miss Marianne, Miss Elinor." Excuse you, Ferrars, that's "Miss Marianne, MISS DASHWOOD" to you. Give Elinor the respect she's due as the oldest.

"Dear, dear Norland." Marianne, get over it. She's still acting like Norland is sentient. I get that's she's *sensitive* and a capital-R Romantic, but this is getting ridiculous.

Ugh, the lock of hair. I believe '95 leaves out that detail entirely. Marianne and her overactive imagination. At least Elinor's sensible enough to know it's not hers.

Sir John invites Edward to a party at his place and in practically the same breath he mentions the Steele girls. Edward's big secret is taking away even momentary happiness.

This Charlotte Palmer is sweet and silly, just like she should be. Meanwhile, her husband reminds me of '08 -- boring. Where's '95's sarcasm? Lady Middleton's looking down at the Steele girls for their upbringing. Bitch. Ah, Mr. Palmer does have more to say. He's crosser than '95. Dude, I seriously doubt she was the only eligible woman when you were wife-hunting. You should've married someone more your type, so don't be mad at her for your blunder.

At least Charlotte is enjoying her marriage. I guess "asshole" is her type.

Oh wow, Lucy's a bitch. Claws in, girl, you just met Elinor. Is it in the book that Lucy is fond of yellow? '24 also has a pretty yellow dress.

You can tell Anne and Mrs. Jennings are related.

Marianne, at least put on a smile when you're at a party and asked to dance by your host. She may think emotions are everything, but she should be able to fake some once in a while.

Anne has no idea she's making things super awkward for Elinor and Lucy, for slightly different reasons. But then, I get the feeling Anne making things unwittingly awkward is a constant in her life.

Lucy's no fool, she knows Elinor has feelings for Edward, so she's playing all her cards at once -- secret longtime engagement, "thinks of you and Marianne as his sisters," "you don't know him like I do," "don't tell anyone." I hear the book ends with Lucy and Robert making each other miserable. No one deserves a bad marriage more than this bitch.

Wait, Lucy is okay with Edward becoming a clergyman? I guess she assumes that as long as he's on his mother's good side, he'll get the money no matter what. Can you imagine this woman as a clergyman's wife?

Elinor's putting Mrs. Jennings down? She's giving you a Season, her son-in-law is letting you stay in his cottage, show at least a little gratitude, girl.

"I would put up with any unpleasantness to go to London, and I shall." Marianne, are you threatening your sister? Well, at least it's better than sulking.

At least Elinor and Mrs. Dashwood are both well aware why Marianne's eager to leave -- Willoughby. I wish Mrs. D wasn't so eager to push her into his arms. But at least she's doing it because it would make Marianne happy, not just to have a daughter married. *side-eyes Mrs. Bennet*

#sense and sensibility #sense and sensibility 1981

[jgroffdaily]

Excerpts from a feature article on director Maria Friedman and "Merrily We Roll Along" at the New York Times, including:

In the beginning, everybody cried. A lot.

“I’d say the entire cast spent the first two weeks of rehearsals in tears, in tears, and they had no idea why,” said Maria Friedman, the director of the new, hotly anticipated revival of “Merrily We Roll Along.” That’s the Stephen Sondheim-George Furth musical from 1981, which opens on Dec. 12 at the New York Theater Workshop, and all but sold out its limited run the day tickets became available.

In a season plump with Sondheim revivals (“Into the Woods,” next year’s “Sweeney Todd”) and literature, this one carries an especially heavy cargo of expectation — the hope that its creator’s most notorious flop might finally be rehabilitated.

During previews, when I spoke to Radcliffe and the show’s other two stars — Jonathan Groff (“Spring Awakening,” “Hamilton”) and Lindsay Mendez (a Tony winner for “Carousel”) — on the phone, they said they were still having trouble staying dry-eyed in performance. “Now the thing that’s challenging,” Groff said, “now that we’ve kind of got the material where we can do it without weeping, is hearing the audience react to it.” Radcliffe and Groff agreed that Mendez was the strongest in that regard.

Mendez tried to explain the emotional toll of coming to terms with these characters: “I think that the love that these people have for each other, and all the near misses they have when they don’t say what they need to say, it’s just so heart-wrenching and difficult to experience. And with every day that passed we all just felt closer and closer. It just got really palpable.”

She [Friedman] has altered neither book nor lyrics. She has reframed it in the sense that it is now staged, subtly, as a memory play, told from the perspective of Groff’s 40-year-old Franklin. 

ON A FRIDAY in mid-November, I watched Friedman applying that sensibility during the penultimate tech rehearsal for “Merrily.” With its endless repetition of words and movements, as lighting and scenery cues are readjusted again and again, a tech rehearsal is a soul-sapping process.

Yet a giddy, nigh ecstatic energy coursed through the room. There was a lot of hugging going on, in the aisles and on the stage, an activity Friedman said was not inappropriate to a show by Sondheim. “He loved a hug, loved a hug. Loved a laugh. He’d always hold my hands when we were walking. He was not this cold man that people think.”

Dressed like an animated Op Art display in a dizzying combination of oversized checks, Friedman issued directives — and laughed and cheered — to her 20-odd-strong cast through a microphone, her bright throaty voice illuminating the dark.

“Is Danny in the wings?” she asked. Radcliffe flew out of the shadows as if propelled by catapult. Groff was marking time by slowly twirling, again and again, with a seraphic smile.

She wanted them to “personalize” a dance move that has them jumping from one level to another; nothing could be generic. And when Frank tells his cohorts that their still-unfinished nightclub act is opening immediately, Friedman shouted out, “Jonathan, enjoy the chaos you’ve put into the room!”

A man ultimately consumed by the pursuit of success at the expense of his deepest friendships, Franklin has usually been regarded as the show’s biggest problem. Friedman doesn’t think of him that way and has imagined an elaborate back story. “I see him as floating, without an anchor, looking to please people, looking to make a mark in the world,” she said.

Casting the radiantly likable Groff, who “still has wonder all over him,” was essential, Friedman said, in keeping an audience on the character’s side. “I have rarely met a man so capable of joy and love — offstage,” she said. “He’s taught me to dare to be happy now and again. I’m not good at it.”

While rehearsing the cast in the show’s climactic anthem of hope, “Our Time,” Friedman paused to ask the actors when their characters were happiest, and to hold on to that memory during the song. 

#jonathan groff #maria friedman #merrily we roll along #nytw

[jeonginkang]

[Gong Yoo — 42 — he/him] Introducing JEONG-IN “SNOW WHITE” KANG . Word on the street is they are a RETIRED CSI / CLEANER and member of SYNDICATE for the past 3 MONTHS . Though they are DETACHED  and  ARROGANT , they can also be  PATIENT  and  RELIABLE . In the chaos of New York City, they’re sure to fit right in.

TW: mention of death, animal cruelty, nsfw subjects

— BASICS

Name: Jeong-in Kang Age / D.O.B.: 42, March 13th 1981 Gender, Pronouns & Sexuality: cis male, he/him & demi-homosexual Hometown: Seoul, South Korea Affiliation: Syndicate (3 months starting January 11th 2024) Job position: Retired CSI / Cleaner Education: Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice (MS in Crime Scene Investigation) Relationship status: Single Children: – Positive traits: methodical, patient, intelligent, reliable, kind, witty Negative traits: detached, uncommitted, arrogant, condescending, liar, apathetic

— BIOGRAPHY

Jeong-in was born in Seoul on an average day in a humble household. There wasn’t anything that stood out about him; being the middle child didn’t do much to help either. The only thing he eventually got known for was his nose; he was excellent with scents. Though, Jeong-in hated it cause he was so damn sensible to them. Eventually, they were able to put a name on what he was; a Nez. Jeong-in had no interest for perfume confectionery. His passion was to understand things after they had happened. At 11, his parents bought him a CSI kit for kids and that was it for him; nothing else would ever really interest him after that. So after doing his military service, Jeong-in had gone back to school to study in what truly fascinated him; crime scenes. He took pleasure during his profiling classes, but never pushed for more. As soon as he graduated he was hired, and ended up making a name for himself due to his sharp analytical eye. Figure out quickly how things had happened and why; immersing himself into the crime scenes in front of him. His amazing sense of smell ended up becoming his greatest asset; something that followed her to his criminal life.

Going down a bad path had nothing to do with mistakes made; it’d just been boredom. Boredom and his arrogant ass that thought he could do a job better than those who’d tried to clean murder scene. Cause if he could sniff out blood and any lingering fragrances, it’d be a piece of case to erase all proofs of a crime right?! For 10 years he perfected his skills; going around towns to find actual crime scenes that hadn’t been discovered yet. That was how he was discovered at 30 and willingly dragged into the world of gangsters. Over time, he was given the nickname 백설공주 (Baegseolgongju) Korean for Snow White. He hated the name at first, but came to enjoy it cause it had everything to do with his work and nothing with him. Moreover, the nickname became staple for his criminal activities, and left people to assume he was a woman. To this day, the knowledge of Snow White’s gender remains unclear for most.

He continued to live with a foot in both world till boredom got the best of him again, and he just left everything behind to move to NYC at the age of 39-40. His reputation preceded him so it was easy for him to fall back into hold habits. Though this time, Jeong-in turned his back on law enforcement for good. Until very recently, he’d been doing cleaning for the biggest checks; not really caring about who’d signed it. Though, he never showed his face to anyone and was only known by his nickname. Eventually, the Syndicate offered him enough money and the safety he’d once had back in Korea; so Jeong-in finally revealed his name and face to them as he joined their ranks.

Only the Syndicate members know that Jeong-in and “Snow White” are the same person. To outsiders, Jeong-in is just a guy that retired from the field to enjoy life in NYC.

— PHYSICAL APPEARANCE

Height: 6’ 0" Body type: Athletic Hair: Black Eyes: Dark brown (look black) Facial hair: N/A Piercings/Tattoos: N/A Distinguishing marks: Any scars that could identify him have been surgically removed off records. Same for any repairs he ever done to his teeth once he got into the business. Defining traits: Even though he’s an untrained “Nez”, Jeong-in still recognises people by their scent. It has come in handy for his work as CSI and cleaner. Languages: Korean, English, Russian, Spanish, Italian Fashion style: Casual chic Extra: He doesn’t drink alcohol at all cause he has a really low tolerance to it. If forced to drink, Jeong-in will turns his face away and cover his mouth while drinking with elders or people of authority as a sign of respect per Korean traditions. Jeong-in like all korean men born in Korea is military trained and still workout like he used to back then.

— PERSONALITY

General: Charming and eloquent, but sometimes cutting to the chase a bit too directly, he comes off as just an average guy, but more often than not cold and distant. He can be flirty in some situation, but extremely private because of his double life. He’ll help others and be kind to keep up with appearances. About his work: He’s condescending and arrogant about his work as a cleaner because he believes he’s the best. He refuses to work with an audience and will walk away from a contract if he’s not left to his own device. With co-workers (Syndicate): Charming, eloquent and confident, but also very casual in the way he speaks. It’s not out of disrespect but how he is. But he also avoids unnecessary direct interactions with them unless he has to. Motivations: Intrinsic & Introjected Current Goal: Do his job Life Goal: Stay happy while doing what he enjoys most (being a cleaner) Best Quality: Methodical Worst Quality: Liar Fears: Being unable to be a cleaner Hobbies: Cleaning random crime scenes, restoring old/rusty tools, training, walking around the city Alignment: True Neutral Influential Memory: Losing Park Yeo, meeting Lee Source of Embarrassment: Messing up his work Source of Pride: His work Extra: He gets bored easily when he’s not cleaning.

— RELATIONSHIP

The Syndicate: Jeong-in avoids contacts unless he has to, but will occasionally try to be social. This is to help with keeping his identity as secret, but also because he’s not a social person to begin with. He doesn’t really care for their affair; cause his only interest is in his work. Jeong-in sees himself as a subcontractor more than a member of the Syndicate. But he makes the most of it. You could say he lacks ambition. Significant other(s): He’s not monogamous, nor does he expect that kind of commitment from his lover. Casual sex can be fun, but he’ll prefer watching porn over it most of the time. He enjoys riling up his partners. He can look extremely detached with them, but he’s a fiery lover. He’s not into polyamory either, because he can only connect emotionally to one person at a time. He’s very much a power bottom. Family: N/A Friends: {see General in Personality section above} though, how he is with them is genuine. 토끼 (Tokki): His 9-month old Shiba Inu. She’s a rescue from an abusive breeder. Jeong-in was just curious about the idea of having an animal to look more “normal”. She was terrified of everyone, but approached him. She’s now all smile, loves her human but usually doesn’t like others (she ignores them) unless he tells her it’s alright. He displays the most emotions with her. He renamed her Tokki (bunny), because she jumps around when she’s excited.

— WANTED CONNECTIONS / PLOTS

《 xxxxx 》…..

#{{about #wb.intro

[cinemaocd]

#I barely remember half of these but I would have to give it to Mansfield Park just because it's STILL the best MP #even though it's not very good #and shout out to P&P40 for being my first ever austen anything #Jane Austen #I don't expect a huge number of responses on this #I have rarely if ever seen any of these referenced on tumblr

[readingoals]

Queenathon II - Bingo

This is one of the two ways to join in the Queenathon readathon! Each of the prompts on this bingo board were inspired by Queen - either the band, their achievements, or their songs. Except for the yellow diagonals which are activities so that you can still make progress on the board even if you aren’t reading! Below the cut I’ll go through each prompt, row by row, and give a more thorough explanation of them. Songs they were inspired by are in brackets beside the prompts.

And remember - books CAN count for multiple prompts! So you may be able to get a bingo with just one or two books!

1. 5 Star Prediction (The Prophet’s Song)

Read a book you predict you’ll enjoy enough to give 5 stars!

2. Friend Rec (You’re My Best Friend/Friends Will Be Friends/Dear Friends) Read a book a friend has recommended or picked out for you.

3. Adapted into a movie or show featuring one of the BoRhap cast

Quite possibly the hardest prompt in this readathon. Read a book that was adapted into a movie which features an actor who was also in Bohemian Rhapsody, the Freddie Mercury Biopic.

Suggestions: Rami Malek: Breaking Dawn - Stephanie Meyer, a James Bond novel - Ian Flemming,  Henri Charrière‘s autobiography Papillon, The Story of Doctor Dolittle - Hugh Lofting, The Night At The Museum - Milan Trenc

Ben Hardy: X Men comics, The Woman In White - Wilkie Collins, The Girl Before - J.P. Delaney, The Statistical Probability of Love At First Sight - Jennifer E. Smith, a Mary Shelley biography

Gwilym Lee: Henry V - William Shakespeare, any of the Chief Inspector Barnaby series - Caroline Graham, a Catherine The Great biography

Joe Mazzello: Jurassic Park - Michael Crichton, With the Old Breed: At Peleliu and Okinawa - Eugene Sledge, Helmet for My Pillow - Robert Leckie, Enslaved By Ducks - Bob Tarte, G.I. Joe Comics, Fire In The Hole - Elmore Leonard

Lucy Boynton - Sense And Sensibility - Jane Austen, Murder on the Orient Express - Agatha Christie, Why Didn’t They Ask Evans - Agatha Christie, The IPCRESS File - Len Deighton, a Marianne Faithfull biography, a biography about Joseph Bologne the Chevalier de Saint-Georges

Or try some of the support cast like Allen Leech, Tom Hollander, Aiden Gillen, etc.

4. Flowers on the Cover (Lily of the Valley)

A Lily of the Valley is a type of flower so pick a book with some sort of flower in the cover art.

5. Listen to some Queen songs

The first of the activity prompts and a fairly easy one to do I think. You can listen to a full album or just get a music video or two up on youtube.

6. Bestseller

Queen holds the record for the best selling album in the UK with their 1981 compilation album Greatest Hits and are one of the world’s best selling musical artists. Read a book which is considered a best seller. This could be a book that appears on anything from an official list of best selling works to a list that your local bookstore creates about popular books of the month, whatever works for you.

7. About A Musician or Band

Pretty self-explanatory. Queen is a band, so read a book that somehow includes a band or musician.

8. Featuring a Pet/Animal (Delilah)

Freddie Mercury wrote this song about one of his cats. Read a book with some sort of animal companion or pet.

9. Cosy Reading Night

The second activity prompt. Have a cosy reading night (or day!), whatever that means to you. Maybe it’s just being curled up in comfy PJs, maybe it’s a nice hot bath and a few candles while you read.

10. Seasonal Read (A Winter’s Tale)

Read a book that fits the vibes of the season you’re in. For southern hemisphere folks like me it’ll be spring, and for northern hemisphere folks it’s autumn.

11. LGBT+ Main Character

Freddie Mercury was gay so in honour of that, read a book with a queer character.

12. Multiple Authors (Under Pressure)

Under Pressure was written with and featured David Bowie. Read a book with multiple authors. It could be an anthology or a collection of essays or just a book that was co-written by two people. You could even count a book translated by someone other than the author if you wanted.

13. HOT SPACE LETS GO!

Free Space!

14. Parent Rec (Father To Son)

Read a book that was recommended or picked out for you by a parent, guardian or parental figure of some sort (heck even just someone older than you lmao).

15. Written by a Freddie, Brian, John or Roger

The four members of Queen are Freddie Mercury, Brian May, John Deacon, and Roger Taylor, so read a book by someone who shares any of their names.

16. Been Putting Off (The Miracle)

Everyone has at least one book they picked up fully intending to read and then never got around to and now you just keep not reading it. Maybe it’s large and intimidating, maybe it’s a genre you used to be much more into, maybe you’re just worried you won’t enjoy it as much as you thought you would. Whatever the case, this is your chance to finally, miraculously, get around to it.

17. Complete A Personal Goal

The third activity prompt. Check this off when you’ve completed some sort of goal you set yourself. It could be a goal related to the readathon like getting a bingo or finishing a particular book or reading a certain number of pages. Or, it could be something else entirely - going to the gym or completing a household chore that needs to be done or getting your sketchbook set up for Inktober.

18. Features Fairies, Ogres, Dragons and/or Queens (My Fairy King/Ogre Battle/Dragon Attack/Killer Queen/etc)

Queen have a lot of songs with fantasy creatures or elements. Read a book that features some sort of mythical creature or royalty (they have songs about kings and princes too so they absolutely count).

19. Favourite Genre (Rock It (Prime Jive))

Do you find yourself mostly drawn to romance books? Or maybe scifi is more your thing? Whatever genre you enjoy most (your prime jive...), this is an excuse to pick up another one!

20. Published or Set in 1970s

Queen first formed as a band in 1970 and released their first album in 1973. So read a book that was publish or is set during the 70s.

21. Guilt-Free Activity

The last of our activity prompts. If you really want to go see a movie but feel bad about taking hours off of reading, you can now do it guilt free! Or, conversely, if you’ve got some chores you should be doing but put them off to read a little longer, that also counts. Whatever sort of activity you feel guilty about doing or not doing, this is a free pass.

22. Black and White Cover (White Queen/March of the Black Queen)

The album Queen II featured a bit of a black/white theme which carried into live performances where Freddie and Brian would paint their nails to match their queens. Read a book with black and white on the cover.

23. Digital (Machines (Back To Humans))

Read an ebook or listen to an audiobook. You could read the whole book digitally or you could switch between an ebook and a physical copy, or follow the physical book as you listen to an audiobook. As long as you read at least some of a book in a digital format, it counts.

24. Set In England

Queen is an English band, so read a book set in England.

25. Translation (Teo Torriatte (Let Us Cling Together)/Las Palabras De Amor (The Words of Love))

Both of these songs feature lyrics sung in other languages. So read a book that was originally written in another language!

#readathon #booklr #queenathon #queen #queen band #reading #brigid speaks