#and I can’t stop thinking about it

[alyona11]

Ok time for my big Hadestown hot take and that’s that West End Hadestown doesn’t give you a 100% Hadestown experience. It’s still ridiculously good and 100% worth seeing, don’t get me wrong (I used my opportunity and saw it twice and will likely see it again if I’m in London), but it kinda made me realise a couple of things about OBC production that will always be my Roman Empire and make me deeply upset Broadway is too greedy to give us an OBC proshot.

So, here are some of my thoughts and reflections based on seeing Hadestown live on West End + seeing different versions (including London National theatre proshot) in boots. I think you can pretty solidly say that in Hadestown there are 2 main stories: Orpheus/Eurydice and Hades/Persephone. And even though arguably Orphedice is the main most important story, it my opinion it also wins from Hadesphone story being strong. Which works perfectly in OBC due to Amber Gray and Patrick Page delivering a very deep nuanced performances as their characters.

I think part of the success of Hadestown when it works on its fullest is how it creates a very deep emotional journey. And I feel that regardless which pair of Orpheus and Eurydice you have (if we take Broadway/tour/West End take on the characters) it’ll still work! Like you need to try really hard to mess up orphedice the way people wouldn’t root for Orpheus or wouldn’t empathise with Eurydice because they are so relatable and cute. You instantly love them, they are so so lovable. So orphedice part is one thing in Hadestown that imo works if not always then in 99% of the cases.

Hades and Persephone’s part of the story in the contrary is VERY hard to nail on 100%, in my opinion, and this is literally driving me crazy. Maybe seeing Amber Gray and Patrick page in professional recording awoken some feelings in me, I don’t know. I will state straight away that I also do enjoy other actors’ takes on characters and I do see some very interesting character moments there and there. However, I keep returning to the thought that Amber/Patrick’s characterisation works SO WELL for the main narrative. I’ll try to explain why I think so. Consider it my love letter to the OBC.

First and foremost, I feel like Hadesphone story has a very fine dynamic that the actors have to nail, so you would feel that: 1) these two still love each other; 2) these two are buried under their problems and see no way out, only a miracle (aka Orpheus and his song) can save their marriage.

And if the first one usually works at least due to Epic 3, the second one, imo, often (at least partially) falls victim to acting/directing choices which can cause troubles with point 1 as well. I think one big thing I’ve noticed is that often Persephone’s alcoholism gets forgotten in the acting performance. Like yeah sure her choreography includes drinking from a flask but in comparison to Amber you never get a feeling that she is absolutely wasted. Which, is in my opinion something that you should feel when you’re watching the show and something I was constantly forgetting about when I was watching the show on West End. I feel in Amber’s performance you can constantly see that her Persephone’s feel good attitude is a façade of a broken person who knows that her marriage is going to hell in front of her eyes yet she is too passive and hopeless to try to make an active change (well, she does try in Chant and nothing happens), so her only way is to chase the sense of normality that the “medicine” gives her. But when she is alone, if you get to catch a moment when people are not looking at her, you can see a deep sadness under her positive front and her memory of the old days when everything was more simple. Nevertheless, the main point that the lyrics literally say is that Persephone is blinded by the river of wine. And this is crucial to her character and her relationship with Hades because the story states that even though Hades is a problem and he is an active actor in creating more problems, he is not the only failure in this relationship. Persephone needs to be woken up from her apathy almost as much as Hades does and this is something that we see during If It’s True.

From Hades’ side I feel like it’s not a good decision to make him a total villain because when he is irredeemable you don’t feel like the whole “song that will fix the world” has any chance of working long term. I think Patrick nailed a deep antagonist very well. His Hades is weird and lowkey creepy and alien. He does objectively bad things but when you look at him you can’t stop thinking that he doesn’t operate in regular human logic or morality. When I look at him in Chant, it feels to me that his words about building stuff to impress Persephone are absolutely sincere, and I can absolutely see that his Hades doesn’t understand why she is so upset about it when his intentions are so so clear. Maybe it’s my vision but even before Epic 3 when he is so far gone and buried in his projects and messed up ideas I don’t have a single doubt that Persephone is a single motivator and goal of Patrick Hades’ life and that he literally doesn’t need any other being to care about. And tragically this fixation is what makes him blind to all other things he does even if those things ruin Persephone’s life (and other people’s but tbh I don’t think he cares).

I feel like by removing Persephone’s Chant 2 verse Hadestown created more problems for Hades and Persephone part of the story making it a much harder job for the actors to prove to the audience that Hades and Persephone have a chance to make their relationship work. Like I get that maybe it was a necessary things to do (even though I think the show is much better with it) but it made it so much harder to empathise with this particular part of the story unless the actors use the choices that work in the narrative. Because for example when I was watching the show on West End part of me was wondering “what is Persephone’s deal in all of that, what does she win by staying with Hades?” With the verse, and with Broadway Previews or London 2018 in particular this part was clear: Persephone still loves Hades and believes that he has the opportunity to change and become a better man he used to be. Without the verse, however, the actors should give you the same idea during the show which is a hard task considering Hades and Persephone have only 2 big conversations together (Chant and How Long). So apart from those songs there are only subtle mostly silent moments they get together through which the actors have to convey the same thought which is hella difficult and probably hardly will be appreciated by anyone apart from the people who sit closely.

So, maybe because in the actor combo I saw (Zachary and Lauren), I got a feeling that even though they were great separately, I didn’t feel much chemistry between them as a pair. I think, Persephone seemed pissed and tired of Hades all the time until How Long and I didn’t feel that she still believes in his willingness to change. And Zach Hades despite being entertaining, kinda gives the impression of Hades who has other options, he is not into Persephone enough. The only sparkle appears between the two in Epic III which is still cute but I’m not sure if it works just as well if that’s the first time you see the show? Also considering Zach Hades gives more malicious intent in His Kiss, The Riot it seems that he is not even slightly interested in Orpheus having any opportunity to succeed with his quest. Which is not bad, don’t get me wrong! But in comparison to Patrick who is deeply self projecting into Orpheus to the point where you could see that even though he doesn’t want to let him go, part of him does because it would prove he too could succeed in his challenge of waiting for Persephone, this take seems a bit lacking. And overall because of His Kiss, their promise in Wait For Me doesn’t seem as giving much hope that the story won’t repeat itself next Sunday. Which in its turn makes Orpheus’ sacrifice feel a bit… worthless. If on Broadway, when Orpheus turns, but spring comes again you feel like it is the start of something new: hopefully a kinder and softer time. On West End the show also wants you to feel it but when you think about Hades and Persephone you feel…less certainty that this sacrifice will have a long term effect?

I guess the creators wanted to concentrate on Orpheus and Eurydice more and forget about Hades and Persephone by making them more secondary story or maybe there was a lack of director’s involvement to give the cast some hints on how to make this particular part of the story work better, but it feels to me that in its current state the show works in its 85% power which is still great but once you know there is something missing you can’t stop thinking about it and wishing the show would give you those 15% you crave.

#me being me #hadestown #thanks for coming to my ted talk #I still immensely enjoyed the production and would come see it again #but when you know the show at its fullest you seem to miss some parts that worked better #also I was able to appreciate the same cast from different angles the second time I could see them from the first row so I could #get a clear view of their acting #and don’t get me wrong Zach and Lauren are really interesting to watch and I liked them #but also I started thinking if it was my first time to watch the show would I understand the appeal of Hades/Persephone line? #and I can’t stop thinking about it #hades #Persephone #hadestown broadway #hadestown west end #it’s also not about WE only but just about some characterisations I saw from different actors in different productions #I just felt like it would be fair to compare to the production and cast I saw life because obviously bootlegs even the greatest are not #the same #thanks for reading this long post

[tourturedfolkloredepartment]

How a normal conversation between jack and Will went.

Will: I’m tired of this jack!

Jack: well that’s to damn bad

#will graham #jack crawford #this sound is them #and i can’t stop thinking about it #nbc hannibal #hannibal

[sketchyelvenasss]

Imagine Tav telling Astarion after everything, “I love you on purpose.”

Like I see you, I know you

I chose you

I could see Astarion crying about it when no one is watching. If not letting go entirely in front of Tav…

#baldurs gate #astarion #baldurs gate 3 #astarion x mc #astarion x tav #I saw this post about saying I love you on purpose #and i can’t stop thinking about it #no thoughts only astarion #astarion romance #baldur's gate 3

[hamletthedane]

thank you all for being here with me as I watch three full-text live performances of Hamlet in one week and descend further and further into madness

#worse I’m driving five hours round trip every performance #no regrets #hamlet #i realize I’m basically having a one-man Hamlet renaissance #thank you for your support #we’ll probably never see a better portrayal of the character #and i can’t stop thinking about it #i close my eyes and see every performance choice in my mind’s eye #brain whirling with a thousand ideas about how the metaphor of the theater of tragedy is both literal and in the text #**I’ll probably (sorry for the royal we lmao)

[writingwife-83]

I just have to say that I’m shocked there’s not a ton of fan art circulating for the book Assistant to the Villain by Hannah Marie Maehrer. This book reads like the best kind of fanfic (imo) and it’s super popular right now so I was sure if I did a search I’d find a lot. But from a google search, Pinterest search, and tumblr search I’ve really only found a couple pieces of art. That’s it.

You best believe that if I could art I’d be drawing the heck out of that book!

#assistant to the villain #Hannah Marie maehrer #grumpy sunshine trope #I’m in love with this book #and I can’t stop thinking about it

[ambeauty]

Just got done watching omelette for the 5011th time and I’m thinking about how Carmy and Syd were sitting UNDER a table while they confessed their UNDERlying feelings about each other because their feelings are still UNDER the surface!!!!!

#nothing to see here #just thinking about this scene for the one millionth time #everyday I think about van saying he really watched two people profess love for each other #and i can’t stop thinking about it #the love confession was under the table because their feelings are still under the surface #Jesus devonte #sydcarmy #carmy x sydney #the bear fx #the people who work on this show are really menaces to society #they hold the key to world peace #it might still be platonic who cares

[metrixnos]

she’s a 10 but misses technoblade more than anything.

#i’m sorry for this #last time i talk about my grief to the general public #i swear #// death #// technoblade #i’ve just been really sad lately #and i can’t stop thinking about it #free me #happier posts soon i promise #just give me a second

[dykebeyondthebinary]

honestly 99% of my votes on polls are just random ones cause i wanna see the results

#i accidentally voted on a really dodgy poll #and a bad answer #and i can’t stop thinking about it #i wish there was a way to remove it cause it was bad #yikes #mine

[running-tweezers]

Uh oh girlies, opening this website is starting to make me feel awful for no goddamn reason again.

#it just happens sometimes 🤷‍♀️ #I see some little thing that gives me flashbacks to My Bad Times Here™️ #and I can’t stop thinking about it #probably just gonna step away for a day or two that usually fixes it

[kaywavy]

goodnight

#somebody made a post about how out of left field and sincere and gay this pesterlog is #and i can’t stop thinking about it #pepsicola ftw

[lyr-caelum]

Send me a wolfstar related promp and ill draw it really quick.

(I need to warm up for today’s drawing session and i think this is a great idea)

#wolfstar fanart #send asks #this might be a really bad idea but i really want to draw gay wizards #i love to do quick rough drawings as a warm up #sirius loves remus #and i can’t stop thinking about it

[piniatafullofblood]

yes katniss survived, but coin won the war with pru’s death.

#katniss and snow both lost. #he picked wrong and everyone payed for it #and i can’t stop thinking about it #tbosas #the ballad of songbirds and snakes #the hunger games #katniss everdeen #pru everdeen #president snow #president coin #thg

[swugflower]

Batman assembling the entire batfam in the batcave:

Batman: okay everyone, we have a very dangerous situation at our hands. There is a new villain in Gotham. He’s extremely dangerous, aggressive, wears a mask-

Literally everyone: it’s Jason

#inspired by a YouTube comment that said something along the lines of #whenever there is a masked new villain and the Batman is involved it’s always Jason #and that made me wheeze #and I can’t stop thinking about it #swugs ted talk #DC #incorrect dc comics #incorrect dc quotes #Batman #Bruce Wayne #nightwing #dick Grayson #red hood #Jason todd #red robin #Tim drake #spoiler #Stephanie brown #orphan #Cassandra Cain #robin #Damien Wayne #alfred pennyworth #that are so damn many characters #help #batman: under the red hood #battle for the cowl #batfam

[elessarwanderer]

Remember when you’d sing, just for the love of it? Any joy it would bring?

#i had hozier write a tattoo for me yesterday #hozier #I mET HOZIER #and I can’t stop thinking about it #can’t do anything today

[littleholmes]

I just had a random recollection of that guy on American idol who sang a self written song that was like “I am your brother, your best friend forever” and now I can’t get the image of Todo and Choso singing it to Yuji out of my head

#it’s a vague memory from ages ago but I can hear the song in my head so vividly and now it’s paired with choso and Todo #and I can’t stop thinking about it #one of yall has to know what im talking about

[dandelions-and-white-wolves]

I’m not sure what the moral of this story is but I’ve just been thinking about it a whole lot-

I’ve been with my partner for *10 years.* We met when we were 16. I sort of assumed that we both knew everything about one another, in that time. We’ve done a lot of talking and living, for sure.

So the other night he’s sleeping really restlessly and he’s kind of whimper-mumbling and snuffling in his sleep and I reach out and cup his face, one part to see if he’s got a fever and one part as a sort of ‘I’m here and you’re okay’ gesture. And he looks like I just struck him- his face screws up and he flinches away and snaps awake. “I hate when you touch my face, I’m so sorry, I usually try and tolerate it because you seem to like it and I know you don’t mean harm. But I have some trauma, and it freaks me out every time.”

Friends, I’ve been cupping, stroking, touching his face this WHOLE TIME because that’s what makes me feel safe. I love it. It makes me feel loved and I just- assumed? That it was reciprocated. “I won’t ever do that again, then,” I tell him, and explain to him about how it makes me feel.

And friends, every morning I’ve woken up since to him cupping my cheek to wake me up, or thumbing away tears when I’ve had a panic attack. I told him how better to love me and he did likewise and we just slid right into it… having never known before there was a deficit that we could fix so easily and make the other feel so much more loved.

So is the moral stop being emotionally constipated and just goddamn tell the other person when you need something? That even after 10 years there are still such simple things to learn? Maybe. I dunno. Just some brain worms that’ve been rockin’ in my skull since.

#personal #relationship shit #we were both just broken ass teenagers #and we’ve learned how to people together I guess #but such a small thing #and I can’t stop thinking about it #i love him #writing