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wrotetheaboveoftoday · 4 years

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1831 Weds. 26 January

6 55/.. 12 5/..

F35º at 7 35/.. and hard frost and fine morning - left my note for ‘monsieur monsieur Monod, Faubourg Saint Martin no. 83’ and out at 7 55/.. to the Muette gate reading as I went along (beyond the bannière) Le Temps - back at 10 - breakfast - M. Pelletier at 10 35/.. 2nd lesson - was going very well with at 11 35/.. my lesson when very small note from Mrs. Hamilton dated last night - ‘would you like call with me on Lady Granville? She wishes to make the acquaintance - and if you would come for me tomorrow at 1/2 past one, we should be sure to find her - yours sincerely’ - sent her back 1/2 her own paper to say I was very much engaged at the moment and could only

In Margin: Began with P- Pelletier at page 57 Brard and should have done to page 82, if not interrupted

send her back 1/2 her own paper to say thank you, I will be with you in an hour that is, at half past one’ - inadvertence - it should have been I would be with her in 1 3/4 hour i.e. at 1 1/2 - however I was in the midst of my lesson and a solution of arragonite in nitric acid, and was obliged to send away Pelletier and think of ordering carriage and dressing - note some time ago from one of the Miss Monod’s for her father to say that young Waterhouse had been seized some days ago with fièvre scarlatine assez forte mais qui Dieu merci n'a point été assez grave pour occasionner des inquiétudes serieuses; il entre maintenant en convalescence, and ne tardera pas, nous L'esperons, à recouvrer sa sante, and son entrain ordinaire’ - thought I should have known all about it from Mr. John Waterhouse ‘qui a soigné son frère avec une tendresse presque maternelle’ or would have let me know -

Wrote the above of today till 12 25/.. - then dressed - off at 1 1/4 en passant put into the post my letter written last night to ‘Monsieur Antoine, Clavet, chef [Quviner] de marbre, à Saint Béat, Haute Garonne’ - at Mrs. Hamilton’s at 1 1/2 - she ready and we drove immediately to the embassy - Lady Granville - not well - bad cold - not up - left my card with Mrs. Hamilton’s name written on in pencil - then to Lady S- de R- [Stuart de Rothesay] found Lord S- [Stuart] and Mr. Hamilton with her - shook hands with the latter talked to and very good friends with the former who staid longer than usual before leaving the room Lady S. de R- [Stuart de Rothesay] still looks ill - asked if I had got my book (meaning Knight on the phallic worship) no! - not time yet - Lord S- [Stuart] said there was a very indecent print plain to the meanest capacity he would commission Wharry to get the book if I liked - said thanks - had I known this sooner might have been glad to accept the offer - but it was now too late, and I had contrived about the thing - did not quite but did almost hint that I should buy it myself - said nothing about its being to be sold tonight - Lord S- [Stuart] paid 150/. for his copy Wharry said 3 ladies (booksellers) had bid against him - one of them a Melle. Charpentier - I was foolish ever to have named the thing at all but said not a word of this of course Observed that I should not have named it to anyone but Lady S [Stuart] but that I did not care about Lord S [Stuart] knowing and that I knew she told him everything -

It seems Mr. Gregory is getting anti-christian - says Christianity is worn out etc. etc. was on the point of saying nothing nothing astonished me and what Mr. Frisell had insinuated about our 2 proprietors (Mrs. Hamilton had gone in to the children’s dinner and left us tête à tête) when Lady Collin came in (I had met her coming away from Mrs. Hamilton’s), and staid some time, and the subject was not resumed - Lady C- [Collin] an elderly rather tiresome person what Mrs. Hamilton called a twaddle and Lady S [Stuart] tho very civil to her seemed to think the same I see I really must learn to be always poli[t]e lapolitesse francaise and that of English high life -

Left Mrs. H- [Hamilton] with Lady S- de R- [Stuart de Rothesay] at 4 and drove to the de Noés - sat 1/2 hour with them all - the Baron de N- [Noé] there - and Comte de N- [Noé] came in just before I came away - all very civil and glad to see me - then called and sat 10 minutes with Mme. de Bourke - I think she hoped I was going to take her apartment and when I said I would come to inquire after her health perhaps it was some disappointment - but she was very civil - came to the drawing room door with me tho’ still very gouty and confined to the house - home at 5 - changed my dress Had put on white frilled handkerchief and moire watered silk gown first time since Miss MacL [MacLean]’s death that I was out of mourning - dinner at 5 20/.. skimmed over the paper -

Off at 6 1/2 and at the book sale (it had just begun) in 1/4 hour - our clocks 10 minutes too soon - bought 22 volumes great and small - Knight on the phallic worship numero 753 was almost at the end of the sale - De Bure who sells this library du feu M. Gosselin bid against me that I soon saw I should not get the work for nothing - there was a pause on 150/. de B- [Bure] saying to a gentleman behind him for whom I think he was bidding? that they had once sold the work for 150/. and it was rare, but he had not heard of its being sold for more - the gentleman said it was a work the author had given it to his friends and it was not published - on which de B- [Bure] bid again, and it was knocked down to me at 199/25. - the fact was, I was determined to have it, but had hesitated once or twice, purposely, as if to let him have the book, so that perhaps he durst not run greater risk in running the thing up to a higher price - numero. 722 up at 600/., only 400/ being bid was withdrawn till next Friday week end of the sale - M. de Bure saying the work was published at 4000/. they had sold a copy (some time since) to the duc de Richelieu for 3000/. and he would have this present copy advertised in the papers - it should be made more known in the hope of getting nearer the value of it -

Home at 9 1/4 - my aunt inquired eagerly if I had got the book but was probably surprised at the price paid - Shewed her all the prints - She never found out the indecency and asked to have the book to read when my newfangledness had gone off on which I foolishly said it was not a book to be left about or perhaps for her to read however I afterwards plastered this off as well as I could and read aloud to her (leaving out and altering a little as I went along) nearly the first hundred pages I read of the god Priapus with perfect ease well knowing she would understand nothing about it and turned off the exception ability on the reflections touching religion and talked of hearing today at the Stuarts that some Englishmen read bad books and got to think and say Christianity was worn out -

Came to my room at 11 10/.. F35 1/2º at 11 20/.. p.m. very fine frosty night and fine frosty day - tho’ it had been snowing between 7 and 9 and the streets where whitish when I returned from the sale - and we had a few little flakes of snow in returning from the de Noés - found they had left 5 cards while I was out - ‘Mme. la Comtesse de Noé 5 rue de L’université’ ‘Le Comte de Noé Pair de France’ same address ‘Mme. la Vicomtesse de Noé and underneath in pencil la Vicomte de Noé’ and another card ‘Le Vicomte de Noé with in pencil above La Vicomtesse de Noé rue de L’université no. 5’ and ‘Le baron de Noé Lieutenant aux Hussards de Chartres’ with written in pencil above ‘Messrs de Noé’ - cards enough at all rates -

#anne lister #anne lister code breaker #1831 #paris winter 1831

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whatdoesshedotothem · 3 years

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Friday 21 February 1834: SH:7/ML/E/16/0172

6 ¾

1 25

Very fine morning F48° at 7 ¾ in blue room and 46° at the same hour in my study - out at 7 55 for ½ hour then breakfast with my father in ½ hour - out again - backwards and forwards with Pickels cutting down the embankment at the entrance gate for the carts to shoot down soil and rubbish to raise with at the ft. of the road wall - then set Pickels to slope down and tidy the ground near the upper garden door - Charles and James H- finishing the railing there - Mallinson hewing and 1 man pulling down as yesterday the wall that hid the water closets - came in about 11 - saw my aunt - read the 1st 18 pages Fairholme Scripture geology had ½ hour’s nap - out again for about an hour - then came back to my study at 1 ¼ - read forward to p.70 Fairholme - and for about an hour (till 3) had Green about Whiskam road - said I hoped to have a toll house up by the 1st of May, and thought of 3d. or more on single cars (with stone or coal per time) and 6d. 2 horse cart and 9d. 3 horse ditto - but ended with saying that he might take his empty carts up and the few loads of tillage he talked of up for nothing till the toll house was up - he asked about the Northgate land - and my making a street crosswise up the land - no! said I was at present determined against it - but would take £800 for Northgate house and the 6.1.8 belonging to it, ie 19814 ½ yards at 8 shillings 3 farthings and 11982/19814 of a farthing per yard giving the house in - I said it would not be 9/ a yard - oh! said he that is too much - but begged me to give him time to view the property and consider of it - said that if he offered me the money now, I could not take it, as, tho’ not bound I had a likelihood of selling and should not sell till I heard what the person I alluded to had to say - I said I did not bind myself to say that if £8000 was not given now, I would take if afterwards - But said I would not sell the property till I heard from him again - he asked about the stone in Joseph Hall’s land - said it was not on sale, but I had had several applicants and said only yesterday I should not think of selling under 10/. a yard - he said it must be good stone to be worth that - I said I was indifferent about selling; but if the stone was really wanted, I would put it into the market - he said I had best make a hole so as to shew it - I said very well - I was going from home and should not be back till next Monday week but would then write to Mr. Freeman and if he did not give my price I would get down to the stone and put it up by ticket, leaving myself the option of taking the bidder I liked best - then said he I may have an answer in a month - yes! said I, I shall hear from Mr. Freeman soon after my return and then I will let you know what is to be done - he thought there might be some stone worth getting in George Naylor’s land - he said he would have given £8000 for the Northgate property, if I would let the sheep croft go with it - no! said I, I must have £2000 for that ie 3347 yards at 11s.11 ¼d. + 2169/3347 of a farthing But 3347 yards at 8s/ 3/4d (price for Northgate - line 13 above) = £1349.5.2 ¼ and Greenwood has bid me £1500 for it or 8/11 ½ + 790/3347 of a farthing per yard - Mr. Green has just sold some land above Gibbet Lane at 4/. a yard to build a Roman catholic chapel on - he says, my 2 fields, will be valuable n°74+75 = 4DW0q.rs5p but on hearing they were above the towns’ reservoir, he said that made a difference - made the calculations and wrote the above of today and out at 4 - Mr. Sunderland came soon after - came in with him and saw my aunt’s leg dressed - the wound not looking so well as I have always seen it before - blackish and rather sloughing, but not alarming so - out again till 6 ¼ - Charles and James H- railing behind the barn - very benumbed with cold, so stood talking over the fire to my father and Marian above ½ hour - Dinner at 7 5 – coffee –Marian came about 7 ½ and staid talking till 9 - then an hour with my aunt. Letter tonight 3 pages and 1st p. crossed from Miss Walker Heworth Grange York – impatient to see me – the fortnight (next Wednesday) seems an age – begs I will not pull off going later than Wednesday – she seems to have been pleased with my ‘affectionate letter’ ‘ do come quickly for I am getting dull and I want you in a thousand ways’ I see she will be fond of me by and by if she will bind herself so that I can have confidence I hope and think we shall get on together happily – came to my study at 10 10 and wrote the last 8 ½ lines - wrote 3 pages and few lines under the seal to ‘Miss Walker Dr. Belcombe’s York’ to go early in the morning – directed to Dr B’s that she may get it tomorrow night instead of Sunday - say I shall dine with her on Tuesday at 6 and not keep dinner waiting – be off from here not earlier than 11 ½ am but she not to be engaged after 5 - I may perhaps arrive not much later than that – nothing can be better than her letter to James - right about the note to Messrs. B- and sons and about determining not to go into mourning – say the blackberry syrup had done my cough a great deal of good – I take it the last thing at night - ‘Is it the sweet juice, or the thought of her who gave it that has the healing power? God bless you! I feel as I should not disappoint you much in anything. Goodnight! Ever faithfully and affectionately yours AL.’ A very kind letter without one word to commit me the above passage the most tender. wrote the last ten lines till 11 - fine day tho’ a drop or 2 of flying rain late in the afternoon - F48° at 1 10 tonight.

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whatwhat--pregameup · 7 years

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tl;dr: it was worth EVERY CENT to go see Great Comet and I’m gonna be on those tour tickets if/when they go on sale

spoilers for things not on the album and things from other parts of War and Peace

Cast at this performance: Shoba Narayan (u/s) as Natasha, Brittain Ashford as Sonya, Grace McLean as Marya D., Lucas Steele as Anatole, Amber Gray as Helene, Nick Clark (u/s) as Andrey/Bolkonsky, Gelsey Bell as Mary, Paul Pinto as Balaga

Pre-Show:

- The lobby/hallways to the house look like a dingy back alley somewhere in Russia. After looking back at Dave Malloy’s Genius annotations, I realized that it was basically a recreation of his experience stumbling into a Russian club (which incidentally inspired a lot of the show)

- I was in a table seat on/in the stage, so we entered at the top of the stage through the huge doorway that gets used during the show. I was literally breathless when I walked in because I had a chance to look out over the entire theater and it’s…it’s just stunning.

- There’s Russian opera/folk music playing in the house, which is p cool

- So when the show starts, there’s an air raid siren (and I fought down the urge to go “SILENT HILL OH NO”) and most of the cast literally jumps out (there are TONS of hidden doorways in the walls) and runs around/through the audience.

- It was at this point that we got free potato dumplings! I think they’re only given to the stage seats? But they were delicious. - Paul Pinto (Balaga/hella people) was our dumpling deliverer and just a hella cool dude in general - my jaw practically hit the floor when I saw Amber Gray (Helene) walking around. holy hell if I didn’t know I was queer before then I SURE DO NOW

Prologue:

- the opening accordion note is REAL long and the first verse actually happens while Andrey is bidding farewell to Natasha and going off to war. He gives her a necklace. This is actually p important as a symbol but this also sets up Natasha sympathetically from the outset because you get to see her and Andrey together

- Shoba Narayan sings beautifully, is totally charming as Natasha, and incredibly sweet in person. I hope she gets to do all the things ever. <3

- HOW DOES THE ANDREY/BOLKONSKY QUICK CHANGE HAPPEN SO DAMN FAST??? I JUST SAW ANDREY ALL DRESSED UP FOR WAR GO THROUGH THAT DOOR?????? the costume department is doing one hell of a job

Pierre:

- not gonna lie I was a little skeptical of Josh Groban because he has That Voice, but rest assured, he DOES deliver “dear bewildered and awkward” Pierre.

- watching Old Bolkonsky, Dolokhov, and an ensemble member all playing guitar together was p great, especially with Bolkonsky hobbling away

- I could dedicate an entire post to little things that Lucas Steele did throughout the show tbh. Anatole is ALWAYS up to something, but for now I’ll just mention that he takes a lot of shots during this song and stumbles right by Pierre when he goes “you empty and stupid contented fellows”

- have I mentioned that I’m still 500% queer for Amber Gray while Helene just has this Look on her face like she’s just so tired of Pierre’s Philosophical Melodrama Hour

Moscow:

- Marya is noticeably less excited about Sonya arriving. Honestly 25% of Marya is just in Grace McLean’s facial expressions and mannerisms and she’s already a Large Ham on the recording so.

- Grace McLean gestured at our table when she said “faded and fading princesses”.

- Natasha does this little dance where she twirls around while humming to herself and it’s just…it’s so cute.

The Private and Intimate Life of the House:

- holy SHIT I need to take a minute to talk about Gelsey Bell. She actually plays a bunch of minor/incidental roles throughout the show, and the things she can do with her voice…holy crap.

- if you didn’t feel bad for Mary on the cast album then uh watching Gelsey will change your mind. especially for anyone who has experience caring for an aging family member.

- Natasha’s “I know they’ll like me, everyone has always liked me” got a healthy laugh from the audience

- one of the ladies at my table was the “cheap French thing” who Old Bolkonsky flirts with and it was hilarious.

- Paul Pinto (Balaga) also plays the butler/servant during this scene with this hobble and hunch, and he moved SO quietly that I legit didn’t notice him moving in between me and the woman next to me. but he served us shots (of water), which was p cool

Natasha and Bolkonskys:

- Natasha and Mary fetch stools and sit down at one of the tables right in the middle of the stage. silently getting people to scoot over is just as awkward as you might imagine, but also really funny to watch and adds to the general awkwardness of their interactions that later contributes to Natasha’s refusal

No One Else:

- aka the moment where Shoba Narayan slayed my whole existence

- the staging for this, I just. where do I even start. Natasha in the moonlight, singing to the audience, the gentle winter snow at the end, fuuuuuuck

- at “I feel like putting my arms around my knees”, Natasha was sitting on the steps on the other side of the stage, right next to a girl who probably wasn’t more than 12-13 years old. when she said “like this” and put her arms out, she did it like she was showing her how and it was THE CUTEST

- also you get to see Andrey reading her letters and Natasha desperately reaching out for him, and it…wow. man. my heart. it’s so much sadder in person.

- she also delivered part of the “maybe he’ll come today” lines to another audience member sitting next to her, like she was looking for validation, and I just….oh sweetie.

The Opera:

- Paul Pinto sighting: the guy who goes “welcome to the opera” and announces various characters

- Sonya jumps a little when Marya comes back in because she’s just so forceful

- EVERYONE points at Natasha for “Natasha smooth your gown” and her facial expression is kind of like “okay, geez”

- Sonya and Natasha holding hands and running around together is cute asf

- okay, having seen the opera in person, I gotta say…it’s still really hard to explain. but I’m gonna try.

- “act 1″ features 2 main singers (played by whoever plays Mary and Balaga) and two dancers (your featured dancers, basically). it’s basically opera by way of performance art and it is purposely weird. fun fact: Tolstoy was not fond of opera and straight up uses “pretentious” in the text of War and Peace (check it out here!)

- lights up after the first opera scene, Sonya was tilting her head to the side. same, girl, same

- something I didn’t quite pick up on the album: both Sonya and Natasha do the initial description of Anatole when the doors open. it’s hard to notice on the album and I didn’t really put it together until Natasha was like a few feet away from me

- when Anatole shows up, the bass is BOOMING. like, it shook the floor. as it should. and Lucas Steele’s poses on the beats, dear lord. and true to character, he was flirting with/eye-fucking audience members as he walked down the stairs

- 100% getting bowie vibes from Anatole tbh

- Lucas Steele has the most amazing blue steel face (approved by ben stiller, for the record), everyone else can go home. also his cheekbones tho

- towards the end of the opera, Natasha watches Andrey die (he gets dramatically opera-stage-murdered by two ensemble members who pull long red sashes). she’s visibly shaken by it and Anatole enters her box (giggity) right after that

Natasha and Anatole:

- when he seizes her from behind and kisses her on the neck, Anatole GOES IN. like, grabs part of her skirt and lifts it up partway. it’s, uh. something.

- I’m not 100% sure if it’s meant to be a real thing that happens, honestly?? I’m gonna have to check the text of war and peace again to be sure but the way it’s staged, I honestly thought it was something Natasha briefly imagined and then tried to pretend that she didn’t

- Anatole directed the “isn’t that so” to a male audience member with a little wink wink nudge nudge thing

- also, hello unwanted touching: he grabs her wrist at “it’s alright, Natasha, I’m here” and it doesn’t look like a wanted touch on those ~bare arms~

The Duel:

- OH MAN THIS IS SO MUCH FUN. another instance of getting free shots, and toasting with the cast

- IT TURNS INTO A RAVE. straight up. strobe lights and everything.

- Grace McLean has A Booty. Instance #2 of “if I didn’t know I was queer before…”

- and how do I know that? because she was wearing a catsuit and waved her butt in my face. and smacked it with a riding crop. 11/10 she can get it.

- also there was another dancer in the ensemble who danced up on the railing next to our table basically wearing leather that wouldn’t be out of place at folsom street fair. one of the ladies at my table was caught a little off guard but I swear to god in that moment I thought “eh this is nothing, I’m from San Francisco”

- Paul Pinto sighting: the duel announcer

- Pierre basically wins the duel because everyone is trashed. He’s so drunk that he stumbles and fires too early (giggity), and lucks out because he shot Dolokhov (who is also quite drunk by this point) in the shoulder

- based on my understanding of the album, I expected Helene to be a lot more sarcastic/cold at the end of the duel, but she looked surprisingly shaken. I’m not sure if it was because she almost lost her boytoy or because she would lose the material comfort/privilege of being married to her husband, but it was definitely interesting to see

Dust and Ashes:

- aka Josh Groban’s “for your consideration” moment for the Tony voters

- ok but for real I saw some glassy eyes in the audience during this one, and I totally get it. this song is beautifully written (”we are a god and angels weep” is out of Tolstoy’s writing, IIRC, and it’s brief but impactful) and it is a complete emotional journey. I, too, am ready to wake up.

Sunday Morning:

- when Natasha looks into the mirror, she’s positioned so that Pierre is right behind her, i.e. he’s reflected in the mirror. she really did see her future (War and Peace spoiler: Natasha and Pierre are happily married later on in the book).

- oh man, nothing like 19th century church to fan the guilt that goes with budding sexuality/a crush

Charming:

- ok so when this song starts, Natasha has just taken off her dress. She’s only in lingerie when Helene drops in. she’s literally exposed/vulnerable

- Natasha’s face when Helene tells her that Anatole is into her though!!! anyone who’s known a teenage girl knows that facial expression. it’s fucking precious

- Natasha goes from lingerie -> Helene’s fur coat -> her ball outfit (final chorus). she’s in her underwear for most of it, so make of that what you will

- a really important moment: Helene removes the necklace that Andrey gave Natasha (with some protest) and replaces it with a multi-string pearl necklace (and who wears multiple strings of pearls first…?)

- guys I’m unapologetically queer asf for Amber Gray (#3)

- at the very end, Natasha is copying Helene’s dance moves with her little dress swishes. it’s cute but also a nice little bit of symbolism.

The Ball:

- good god Shoba Narayan is an actual princess ok

- it’s interesting that Natasha and Anatole are actually dancing on opposite sides of a circular portion of the stage when Natasha’s describing their dance. you get a real sense of her inner monologue/the fact that the two of them are having somewhat different perceptions of what’s going on

- I’m actually kind of surprised at how many people listen to the album and don’t really register the fact that Anatole is blocking Natasha’s path/hurting her when he grabs her arm. pair it with the music and that already sounds like Bad Times, but it’s definitely Not A Good Thing when combined with watching Natasha’s reactions (she’s literally running from him)

- the sound when they kiss is the entire ensemble playing the rims of water glasses. Helene’s note is the longest.

- Anatole’s face when Natasha goes “but I love you” is hilarious and a pretty good hint (just in case anyone missed it) that he is not interested in her affections beyond an assist to get her into bed with him

- during the “I’ll do anything for you” exchange, Natasha is reaching up with outstretched open hands. Anatole has a closed fist. it’s a small thing, but it says a lot about the power dynamics at play

Letters:

- Anatole’s love letter to Natasha gets “sent” through the audience. It got a little held up and Natasha was desperately/frantically gesturing for them to move it along. eventually, a guy got up from his seat to hand it to her and he got a round of applause

- the second repetition of “a love letter”, Anatole does the hand motion for a woman’s figure (you know the one)

- Lucas Steele holding out every extended note just because he can.

- “just say yes” is delivered with Anatole holding Natasha by the waist/hips and kneeling in front of her.

- Anatole fist pumping after Natasha goes “yes! yes!” and lets go of him

- Anatole has this smug expression as he walks off at the end, and Sonya makes eye contact with him as she’s approaching. it’s a really small silent exchange but you can immediately tell that Sonya knows that something is up and isn’t having any of it

Sonya and Natasha:

- you know that text post about “you know you’ve become an adult when you watch the Little Mermaid and you’re like ‘YOU DON’T EVEN KNOW HIM’”? yeah, that’s basically this scene

- Shoba!Natasha put so much sass into “I do not grasp the question” and “you don’t understand anything”. it’s little mannerisms like that that make her 100% believable as a teenager tbh. I swear I caught her rolling her eyes at one point and I was like “yep definitely made that face before”

- literally sitting between them during this argument is intense my dudes.

Sonya Alone:

- I’ll be honest, I have a habit of skipping this song on the album because it’s such a lull between the intensity of the end of the preceding argument and the beginning of the abduction. but in person…holy fuck.

- Brittain Ashford is everything in this scene. obvi still open to other actors’ interpretations, but her voice is just so right for Sonya’s raw sadness and determination

- this scene ends with Sonya reaching for Natasha, who just holds her letter and turns her head away, and my heart. augh my heart.

Preparations/Balaga/The Abduction:

- doing these all together because it just…happens

- Pierre is actually ptfo at the beginning of this scene (implied bc he was drinking); Anatole accidentally wakes him up on his way out, so his “ah Anatole” is actually sort of half-asleep

- I caught a glimpse of the first chair cellist grinning ear to ear once the ostenato part starts and I was just like “YEAH GIRL GET IT”. she was so pumped to do this sequence

- the patter in this is real and Nick Choksi fuckin kills it.

- also it was during this scene that he smacked a teacup (and it was a very nice looking metal one too!) down onto our table in front of me while listening to Anatole’s nonsense. he would later take my hand and make sure I used it to raise a glass during the abduction

- it’s very subtle but you can catch various ensemble members grabbing instruments and getting ready towards the middle/end of Preparations. Amber Gray caught my eye (obvi) because Helene basically goes and puts on a vest as soon as she’s out of the scene and gets a tom. Amber Gray playing the tom in the lead-up to Balaga is my aesthetic (#4)

- the shakers come out with the rest of the ensemble at the beginning of Balaga - we were given a basket and basically told to take one and pass it down. you’re allowed to keep them and I brought mine home with me :)

- Paul. Motherfucking. Pinto. Dude is full of so much energy that it is infectious

- it’s impossible to not sing along when people are playing instruments/dancing/singing right next to you

- got another round of shots before Pierre’s toast

- during the “it’s a russian custom” break, Anatole sat down next to two older ladies and hardcore flirted with them #BlueSteele

- so the “fur cloak” scene features a pizzicato violin soloist (who is wearing the fur cloak in question). she has tattoos on her hipbones that look like the holes on a violin that are highly visible with the outfit she has on. A+ casting right there

- Pierre does the ‘ding’. It was a great ‘ding’ and I am v proud

- Gelsey sighting: the maid

In My House:

- the shakers stopped IMMEDIATELY. Grace McLean has THAT MUCH PRESENCE.

- so she starts off this song with a smile, but it is through clenched teeth and utterly frightening. holy fuck I do NOT want to be in trouble for the rest of my life after that

- small fumble on “what is it to me”, but Shoba said it and corrected it so quickly that it actually worked because it sounded like Natasha had a case of Angrish because she was so upset

- another instance of “I am sitting in the middle of this argument and this is incredibly uncomfortable” because it’s so intense

A Call to Pierre:

- jesus christ do NOT piss off Marya D. but I love how it’s not just anger, there’s legitimate worry and panic. like, I get the feeling she’s about to cry just from all of the conflicting feelings leaking out of her eyes

Find Anatole:

- the lights go up when Pierre goes to the club, and I’m sure it’s no coincidence that it makes the table seats super visible to the orch/mezz audience

- Helene is in her lingerie when hiding/comforting Anatole. Considering their interactions throughout this show, that’s definitely on purpose

Pierre and Anatole:

- last instance of “sitting so close to an argument that it’s uncomfortable”

- Anatole “frowning and biting his lip” looks a LOT like a small child sulking during/after a temper tantrum. Also Lucas fumbled with the stool a bit and knocked it over which added to the whole tantrum/possibly slightly disoriented from Pierre shaking him thing

- Natasha’s poisoning is VERY obvious (which is obvi something you don’t get from the album alone). You see her coming down the steps with the arsenic and water and she is in the middle of the stage, between Anatole and Pierre when she goes through with it

- The Note. holy fuck.

Natasha Very Ill:

- Anatole is actually very slowly on his way out through the doors during the first part of the song. He disappears riiiiight about the time that the electronic parts stop (not a coincidence)

- There’s a lot of silent acting going on during the show, but I mention it here because what really struck me was Pierre comforting Marya during this scene.

Pierre and Andrey:

- Andrey is both noticeably changed from the war and heartbroken over Natasha. It’s no surprise that he can’t bring himself to forgive her, considering the state he’s in (minor W&P spoiler: he eventually does tho) Nick Clark's "never speak of that again" is more forceful than on the album - he basically shouted it. definitely got than anger

- I noticed Sonya holding Natasha in the background. not sure if they were both crying

- At the very end of this scene, Andrey goes and sits (well more like collapses into) the chair that his father sat in earlier in the show. and he ignores Mary (who looks so excited to see him, poor girl) on the way there

Pierre and Natasha:

- ok I felt my eyes starting to do The Thing during this scene. it is heartbreaking to watch frail, ill Natasha weakly walk down the stairs in front of you while clinging to the railing for dear life when you’ve been watching her dance/run/sing up and down them for the entire preceding show

- “I don’t know, I don’t know at all” hit me right in the gut. I thought I might cry, but I figured that with my dry-ass eyes, my contacts would take care of it…

- …and then The Line happened. I felt exactly one tear make it out (which is a LOT for my stupid dry allergy-tastic eyes). I also saw a lot of glassy eyes in the audience and heard a lot of sniffles

The Great Comet of 1812:

- so I was seated super close to the comet itself. it’s right over the center pit/Pierre’s salon and I was maybe a few feet from that, so it was amazing to watch it come down.

- it’s really hard to describe the comet chandelier but I can tell you that the “actual” comet is just one bulb, but when it happens, it is the single brightest thing in the theater. it’s also the final light to go out after the giant chandelier lights up and fades out.

- Pierre sits down to watch the comet at the very end which seems like a neat cue for the groban stans to stop staring at him and pay attention to the really cool thing that is happening

General/stuff I thought about later/stage door:

- something I realized after I left: Andrey wasn’t the family’s saving grace, Pierre was. within the bounds of the show, he saves Natasha and her family from disgrace and Andrey and Anatole’s lives (avoiding a duel and Anatole getting charged with bigamy). in the larger context of the book, he also saves the Rostovs from their financial issues because ends up inheriting his father’s title and money and Natasha marries him.

- “stupid child” really is a good descriptor for Anatole

- Or Matias, the music director, is practically a one-man show. honestly I’d see this again just to watch him jam out. his conducting is quite possibly the most entertaining, non-traditional conducting I’ve ever seen

- basically everyone besides natasha/sonya is part of the ensemble at some point outside of The Abduction sequence. and a lot of them play instruments (see: Helene on the drums, Dolokhov on guitar). it’s rad.

- Dolokhov has some srs eyeliner on his lower lashline - but only on the lower lashline (and nobody else does). I wonder if it’s supposed to be for preventing glare since he’s a “crazy good shot”

- there are a bunch of interactions between Anatole and Helene that are uncomfortably close for siblings (and Helene coddling him in her lingerie near the end of the show basically seals the deal). it’s a great nod to the book.

- Helene/Dolokhov/Anatole is as close to a canon OT3 as I’ve seen anything get in a long time.

- there are same-sex pairs of dancers throughout the show. I managed to spot 3 during The Ball, but there might be more.

- This show is what I wish our entertainment could look like all the time. colorblind casting, vibrant production, and so much fun.

- Josh Groban is the nicest dude. His publicist kept coming out to remind us that he didn’t have time to do photos since they were on their way to something else, but Josh insisted on signing everything that he could. I also happened to capture a pretty excellent little moment (here)

- Shoba Narayan was also super sweet! I’m gonna forever side eye the kid next to me who thought that “you sound just like Denee” was a good compliment tho

- Gelsey reassured a fan that Mary’s life does get better later on in the book

#great comet #natasha pierre and the great comet of 1812 #<333333 #shotasha #josh groban #I love this cast

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toddyoungonlinestorytime · 7 years

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Manila, Philippines @toddyoungonline 2013

traveLogue> Philippines> Clothes

Big man in a little city...

Ok, aside from food, I will talk about later, clothes are a huge issue in the Philippines…

I’d left some clothes behind on my last visit with my, then, girlfriend (now wife). I packed light and took only a few basics this time figuring I’d just buy what I needed. Uhm…no…

The clothing sizes aren’t exactly the same. It may SAY XL or XXL, but try it on first. I was lucky that the XXL shirts sort of fit me depending on the store. We were going on vacation and I needed some swim trunks, so we went to SM Department store. I found swim trunks that said 38 or 40 and even XXL. I couldn’t get them up my legs.

I went shopping at several places and found XS in the men’s sizes.

I’m embarrassed to say that walking around the malls, on more that one occasion, I clipped someone in the head with my elbow. I almost stepped on a small child who was crawling around on the floor at one point. But hey, if you let your children crawl around on a busy mall floor you take the chance of losing them to being squished by a foreigner…Ha!

Jeans and pants tend to be in the skinny variety and with a low waist and high crotch. Max waist sizes tend to be around 38x32, but even if that sound right make sure you try the clothes on before you buy them.

This last trip I needed to find some clothes to get married in, so I'll go into that adventure a bit…

First let me say, I am not extravagant on my clothes. At MOST I might spend $50 on a button up from Men’s Wearhouse. I shop at Shoe Carnival usually for my shoes and spending $50 on a pair of shoes is a bit of a stretch for me.

I believe we started on Bonafacio High Street. they have several retailers I’m familiar with and thought I could find clothes at.

I couldn’t find anything at Old Navy to fit. The irony being the cargo pants I was wearing were from Old Navy in the states. I did find several dresses for my wife so it wasn’t a total loss and they were around $25 each.

Next store, American Eagle, I found a couple of button up cotton shirts, but at around $50 each I wasn’t comfortable with the purchase.

Banana Republic …I found a pair of khakis that sort of fit and grabbed a pair of socks. It was the best fit i had come across, but the pants were $100…uh?!

but I was getting desperate..lol…

We went back to SM Department store and to the men’s department. I saw things I liked, but nothing fit. Suit coats said 44 or 46 long, but it must have meant centimeters…

Note to Men’s Warehouse. There aren’t any suit store in the Philippines.

I tried on clothes so much that at one point I sprained my elbow. It hurt for like two days..Ha!

Incidentally, I found my wife a couple more casual dresses I like all for under like 100 pesos, so under $3…lol..

I found T.M. Lewin at SM Aura, a dress shirt store that had a few suits, none fit, but the salesman did find me dress shirts in my size. They rang up at around $100 each (Men’s Warehouse!) and that was on sale. I added a tie and a belt and the bill was around $300.

I found Rockports at SM Department store at around $100 on sale…ugh…I’m used to buying inexpensive Deer Stags at Shoe Carnival...lol..

I wanted to buy a new pair of jeans. Oh look Levis! All skinny and high crotch and nothing in my waist needs anyway.

Finally at The GAP at SM Megamall, next door to Chili’s…mmmmmm…I found 38x32, 40x32, and even 42x32…luckily the 40x32 fit me and the salesgirl even found me an XXL button up that fit me. Score!

I did Google search about finding larger clothes and one hit mentioned going to a tailor for suits. We contacted a tailor and the suit would be around $300, which considering the amount of time we spent running around and the money I’d spent on clothes having a suit tailored would have probably been a better option.

There’s also supposed to be a brand MaxWear available at SM, but I didn’t come across it.

I was really frustrated because there are taller, tho rare they may be, Filipinos…heavier guys…even other foreigners who aren’t running around naked, so clothes are available somewhere.

I did notice one thing tho. Those taller guys tend to not have an ass, so they fit in the straight cut much better than someone like me that needs a bit in the back. Sigh!

But, I found the clothes. The GAP came though. I was happy. I think I spent $100 total on the shirt and pants. I felt ok with that. So, next step is to take everything else back right? Easy Peasy Lemon Squeeasy…

Uh..Yeah…ok…

First stop, Banana Republic in Bonafacio… I approached the counter and told the salesgirl I’d like to return the pants. She stepped away to get the store manager. The manager said they only exchange for other items or a store credit good for 30 days. I asked about Gift Certificates, no they don’t have those. I explained the clothes don’t fit and they’re still int he bag they sealed. I’d only purchased them a couple of days earlier. I asked the manger for the phone number to the home office. I asked if this was the same Banana Republic as was in the states. She told me it was a franchise and things were different. I asked for the phone number to the parent company as I would call them and resolve my issue. She kept wanting to give me her District Managers phone number.

Having worked retail myself. If the customer asks for something just give it to them it makes things much easier for everyone. If she can;t help me I was prepared to call the home office and find someone who would. Retail places typically want to make their customers happy. It’s easier to make someone happy than have a disgruntled one, especially in the age of internet that can put their experiences on the internet for all to read.

Can I just say at this point if they had had Gift Certificates I could have passed along that would have been an acceptable solution for me. But, this hour plus long debate was really aggravating.

The manager finally called her district manager and handed me the phone to talk to her. So, I am now talking to the District Manger who is trying to explain that the manager is trying to make things easy on me and offer me the store credit, only I can use, or a check or…

Wait, stop…check? No one up until that point in time had anyone MENTIONED a check. Ok, stop. a check would be fine. The DM keeps talking, no please stop, you said a check I’ll take it, but I need it mailed to my wife there and not sent anywhere else.

So, at this point they tell me I have to write a letter that they will send to accounting requesting the money back and instructions with addresses phone number and email addresses. WHAT?!? seriously?

We are wasting more time in manpower doing all this than them simply having something like gift certificates or straight refunds available. If you can take the money off my credit card, then you certainly have the power to put it back on there.

Ok, so I stood there at the counter and wrote the letter, i also took a picture of it with my iPad and they said it would be 7 - 10 days. I’m at 7 days as of this writing and so far no check has been received.

Needless to say I won’t be shopping at ANY Banana Republic store again in any country. That just left a bad taste in my mouth.

So, next stop American Eagle. i was ready to go through this all again. I told the salesgirl I wanted to return the clothes, she got her manager. the manager said they couldn’t do a refund but COULD issue gift certificates in the amount. SCORE! Perfect I gave them to my step-daughter to shop with. The whole thing took like 20 mins.

Last stop was T.M. Lewin. I walked in and told the salesman I wanted to return the clothes. I’d found something else and didn’t need them. He looked confused. He went to get his manager, who came back and disappeared behind the counter for a few minutes. He popped back up with a form and asked me to fill it out. He said this was only the second time since the store had been opened that someone had asked for a refund. He said it would take around 30 days, but the money would be credited back to my card. Success!

That’s customer service!

In and out and you have a happy customer who may come back in the future.

To the store managers credit at Banana Republic she was always very polite and trying to be helpful in how, I’m sure, she was trained to do things, but…

I do have to say that all of the store personnel I have encountered have extremely pleasant and helpful in all the stores. That is one thing that’ll make you smile until it becomes slightly irritating.

Each section is manned by numerous people ready to help you. You walk into a section and will be accosted by “Hello Sir! Good Morning mam!” From each and every person. It is to the point, sort of like with that singing fish you would hang n the wall and walk in front of to hear sing. You walk into the midst of them just to set them off and giggle with evil glee.

tbc in Food...

#philippines #reviews #st louis #manila #toddyoungonline #clothes #shopping #banana republic #american eagle #old navy #tw lewin #bonafacio highstreet

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