#fersen? i don't know him | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

margridarnauds · 3 months

Note

Despite considering myself to be rather knowleadgeable about Marie Antoinette and her various endeavours and portrayals in media, I have to admit that i never heard of the Musical. Would you enlighten me about it and maybe advise where to watch it? 😁😁😁

Of course!

So, Marie Antoinette das Musical.

Based on a book by Shusaku Endom, premiered in Japan in 2006, as a collaboration between Michael Kunze and Szilvester Levay, known for Elisabeth das Musical, Mozart das Musical, and Rebecca das Musical, and went on to premiere in Germany in 2009. Both productions didn't do particularly well, even though they did have cast albums released. (I...still have to translate the German libretto, if only for the sake of keeping up my German skills.) There were some major structural flaws -- Marie Antoinette was too bitchy (throwing an actual temper tantrum, like a child, so that Louis would dismiss Necker; tossing champagne at a poor woman's head because she interrupted her ball and Marie thought it would be funny), her sympathetic qualities were either downplayed or erased in favor of her love affair with Fersen, which was reduced to "Good Man In Love With Bitchy Woman Who Knows She Isn't Good Enough For Him, But Don't Worry, He Loves Her Anyway", but the justifiable reasons for the Revolution were reduced to "Bitter poor people want Revenge and Go Against God", it had a bloated plot with too many characters, etc. etc. etc. It was, and I'm saying this as someone who ADORES messy musicals, one of the single biggest disasters I've ever forced myself to sit through, in the sense that it wasn't even particularly *entertaining.*

But, in 2014, an international crew got together to do the Korean production, and they essentially rewrote the whole thing. Not a shallow rewrite either, they TOTALLY REWROTE IT FROM THE GROUND UP. Songs were cut and added as needed, sometimes being given to different characters or put in different scenes, superfluous characters were removed, the plot was tightened to focus on the characters involved, Marie was rewritten into a flawed, but understandable character, not a sexist caricature. This was the version of the plot that would premiere in Hungary in 2016 and back to Japan in 2018 and 2021, becoming an international success.

The musical follows two women -- Marie Antoinette and Margrid Arnaud, two women with the same initials who lead very different lives. While Marie lives a life of oblivious privilege, Margrid lives on the streets. She was educated in a convent as a child, as the result of a mysterious benefactor (her mother having committed suicide) but was tossed out on the streets when the money ran out, and she's had to live by her wits since then. The two of them meet when Margrid interrupts a ball being held at Palais Royal to celebrate Marie's return to society. Margrid calls for the aristocrats to pay attention to the plight of the poor, who are starving, but all Marie can do is offer her a glass of champagne, which Margrid, furious at the lack of understanding, tosses in her face, swearing revenge. She joins up with the Duc d'Orléans, who is running a smear campaign in order to convince the public that he should be the rightful king, and things go downhill from there...

Some of the strongest points in the musical's favor:

Strong female characters. A term that's often thrown around casually, but, honestly, I love the musical for how it deals with the rivalry between Margrid and Marie, because neither one is fully wrong or fully right. We understand why both of them make the decisions they do and how it leads them to where they are by the end, and they go through an entire arc together. Margrid in particular is one of my characters of all time for being a woman who is brilliant, an absolute gremlin, strikingly vulnerable, and evasive. She's flawed, she's aggressive, vindictive, and spiteful, but we're also allowed to see WHY she's that way and how thoroughly fucked up she is by what's happened to her in the past. She is someone who truly doesn't believe that she's capable of being loved or of loving someone else -- platonically or romantically, because every experience she's had of love ended in betrayal, even when she desperately wants it. Meanwhile, Marie is both trapped in a life of fame and fortune while also believing, firmly, that that is her god-given right. She never believes that her position is anything other than her right by God, even when it involves spilling French military secrets to the other European powers when the Revolution goes a little crazy. She adores her family, she adores her husband, but she's also in love with Fersen (which...I don't like historical Fersen, but musical!Fersen, I tolerate.) You feel sympathetic for her by the end, but she doesn't demand sympathy.

Great villain. I love the Duc d'Orléans in this musical so much. Louis Philippe Joseph was a complicated man historically, and, depending on the actor, he's a complicated man in the musical. He's been simplified, but you can still SEE at times that he isn't a monster -- he genuinely ENJOYS working with Margrid, he's a good boss, he isn't necessarily WRONG about certain things, even when he's selfish in the way he goes about it (there's a great moment in the 2018 Japanese production where he sees Marie reject a peace offering from Cardinal de Rohan, and you can just SEE him dying inside, like "oh, God, she actually DID that." Margrid's eventual break with him isn't even that he betrayed HER or that HE changed his goals...she did. Which makes for a much more interesting dynamic than "evil man manipulates woman and then betrays her."

There's also a masquerade scene where they go undercover together. And yes, I went batshit over this and have still not recovered. (Please note that they are being used to contrast Fersen/Marie here, to make the ship bait worse.)

They're just. Like this. With one another. In one of the Korean productions, you can clearly hear her call him "Philippe" which murdered me.

I don't have any gifs of this scene without text on it, but the look on both of their faces by the end is...

Anyway, semi-canonical (depending on the production/actors) villainfucking angst, who is doing it like them?

The costumes are great (with the exception of the Hungarian, sorry Hungary.)

(The same dress from the same scene in both Japan and Korea)

It is bizarrely accurate in some ridiculously minute ways, like the Toho production actually DOING A RECREATION OF THE HISTORICAL MARIE'S BED.

Historically accurate pamphlet, shown in a projection while Orléans is singing about his strategy to turn the people against her. I legitimately had to pause the screen the first time I saw it because I couldn't believe my eyes. (Yes, I now pause it on each stream.)

Like, don't get me wrong, it still gets a LOT wrong, or changes details around to make 9 years of someone's life fit into a two hour musical, but both the Korean and the Japanese productions DO care about details in ways that higher budget films and TV series often don't.

And, of course, some killer songs. (Orléans' villain song, Marie's song, Act 1 finale -- all from the Korean, since they are slightly better at putting songs out, with the Japanese trailer.)

The Korean and Japanese bootleg environments tend to be...stricter than Broadway -- there have been proshots released for both at various times (the Toho production is actually available to buy if you have a Japanese proxy who can send it to you), to the point where I can't *say* if I have access to the Korean, but I have bought both DVDs of the two Japanese casts and have been known to stream it. If you're interested, I'm always willing to schedule something, especially since it's been ages since I've done anything like it.

#marie antoinette the musical

6 notes · View notes

lucygold95 · 1 year

Text

Letters of appreciation from Korean Phantom actors after their first performances. (* I add English translations.)

This is musical actor 전동석.

I sincerely thank to you who were with me on the day my dream came true.

It was such an honor and I hope my heart reaches all the audiences.

I want to be(=will be) an angel of music for all of you until the end (of the performance).

(* 전동석 did Yeston & Kopit's Phantom several times before. And when COVID-19 was around the world, he said smiliar thing to musical Phantom(Yeston & Kopit) audiences: "At this moment when the world collapsed, we(Phantom actors) will be(=want to be) Your Music.")

– 전동석 –

(* 전동석 is a famous musical actor in Korea(He did Dracula(Wildhorn's Dracula), Tod(Elisabeth), Rudolf(Both Elisabeth and The Last Kiss), Roméo, 이훤, Hedwig, Mozart, 준, Gringoire, Jekyll & Hyde, Count Axel von Fersen, Phantom and many other roles).

Also he majored opera as a baritone at the 한국예술종합대학(Korea National University of Arts. This university' vocal department is considered one of the best vocal departments in Korea, along with 서울 대학교(Seoul National University)'s vocal department).

From auditions to practice to previews... The time that doesn't seem to come has finally come.

I had many feelings after my first musical debut.

(* Baritone 김주택(His stage name is 'Julian Kim') graduated from the 'Conservatorio di Musicica Giuseppe Verdi di Milano' with a unanimous highest score by the judges and he did many operas in Italy, Korea, China and Peru(Especially in Italy). But POTO is his first musical.)

Thank you to those who worked hard until the first performance.

Thank you for allowing me – who is still lacking – to be on stage and giving me a big round of applause.

I'll continue to prepare hard and come back with the best performances!

Thank you!

– 김주택 –

I was afraid and sometimes I wanted to run away. (I thought like this:) 'I don't think this is fit for me... It's too big thing to me...'.

I was tired of fighting against many prejudices and stereo types alone.

(* 조승우 is considered one of the best actors in Korea(He is very famous movie/drama/musical actor in Korea. Almost all Koreans know him),

but there have been mixed reviews about his singing.)

But many people, including our team, gave me courage.

Finally, the show started and I took my first step on the stage with a earnest heart. I trembled a lot and made mistakes, but as I said before, I think I kept my promise to do my best on stage.

(* According to articles, 조승우 studied opera and took vocal lessons right after he was selected for the role of Phantom.)

Thank you to those who support and applaud to me even though I lack; Thanks to you, it was a day full of gratitude.

I'll more sincerely do my best. Thank you.

– 조승우 –

최재림 did not participate in Busan production, but he will participate in Seoul production.

* 최재림 is a famous musical actor in Korea.

He played Rent(Tom Collins), Hairspray, 남한산성, Spring Awakening, Next to Normal, Assassins, 가야십이지곡, Jesus Christ Superstar(Both Jesus and Judas), Next to Normal, Kinky boots, Notre-Dame de Paris, (Musical) Aida, Chicago, Hadestown, Matilda and more. And as far as I know he did at least one opera too.

Because he majored in opera(He began his studies as a baritone, but soon he turned to tenor) at the university.(He graduated with top honors at 경원 University 성악과(Department of Vocal Music).)

Also, he studied acting at the 한국예술종합대학(Korea National University of Arts) and earned a master's degree in a thesis on musical vocalization.

#조승우 #김주택 #전동석 #the phantom of the opera #poto korea #poto 3rd korea #poto busan #오페라의 유령 부산 #오페라의 유령 #최재림

20 notes · View notes

moonlit-rose-garden · 11 months

Text

Fabled Treasure

Part 3

(Y-n) wakes up to the scent of flowers and gentle sunbeams from the window. 'Flowers? I don't usually have flowers in my room... Did the King send me a surprise present?' (Y-n) thought as she peeked over the bed. "Oh, my, white roses... they're gorgeous!" Delicate white roses were piled up all around the bed. A wine-red envelope with a silver seal lies atop the roses. Picking up the envelope, she smells a sent that she'd never smelled before, yet it was oddly familiar... (Y-n) subconsciously whispers a name.

"Fersen..."

It was Marie's lover. Strangely, (Y-n) could tell that was Marie, who longed for him. Not her. 'At least I can tell my feelings from Marie's when it comes to romance.' She thought as she opened the letter.

My princess,

The war has finally ended, and I am on my way back to you. I miss your canary like voice, your dimples, and your starry eyes... I miss everything about you. Do you miss me too? I have too many things to tell you, but I want to say them while looking into your beautiful eyes. I hope you can sense how much I long to fly to your side, but I can only use these white roses to represent the unchanging feelings I've had for you all these years.

Yours, Fersen

(Y-N) blushed, and a foreign feeling bloomed in her chest. However, the feeling felt like it wasn't her own. It was Marie's heart that was racing. Reading the letter again brought old memories. The day Fersen left for America, for war. "Lafayette has returned from the war, so Fersen can't be too far away... How should I... face him?" (Y-n) mumbled to herself.

"Marie, why is your face so red?" A sweet voice called out. Gabrielle had entered the room and sat on the bed next to her friend. It took only a glance at the letter and the roses for Gabrielle to understand. "Oh, it's Fersen! He's such a hopeless romantic... I think you'll meet him at the banquet two days from now." (Y-n) looked up confused. "Banquet?"

Gabrielle cocked an eyebrow. "The banquet welcoming our war heroes home! You've been looking for a grand accessory for the occasion, haven't you?" Gabrielle stood, taking (Y-n)'s hands. "A jeweller named Bohmer is here to see you. He's brought a really special necklace!" This caught (Y-n)'s attention. 'A one-of-a-kind necklace? I'm curious...' She thought to herself. (Y-n) felt the urge to be the most attention-grabbing woman at the banquet. "Excellent! I'm looking forward seeing it!" Gabrielle smiled at this. "Let's take a look at it. Maybe you'll wear it to the banquet!"

Gabrielle helped "Marie" get dressed and soon she was ready to see the jeweller. Bohmer stood as (Y-n) and Gabrielle walked in. "Y-Your majesty. I'm a jeweler, your majesty, and my name is Bohmer. I'm here to show you a treasure today! My partner and I have spent two years crafting this necklace from over 600 diamonds. We think it suits your majesty's beauty perfectly! We are here to present it to you..."

Bohmer held out a beautifully decorated box and opened the lid. 's eyes seemed to sparkle as she looked at the necklace in awe. "My goodness, what a stunning necklace!" Gabrielle looked at (Y-n) excitedly. "Marie... I think you're the only person beautiful enough to wear it. I heard the previous king once commissioned a grand necklace for Madame du Barry. If that story is true, this should be it!"

Bohmer nodded. "Y-yes! Madame is wise indeed to know its origins." Gabrielle ignored his flattery. "I only heard of it... Too bad Madame du Barry was dismissed from court and never laid eyes upon the necklace. But maybe this is God's will. Madame du Barry is no longer in favor and has lost the right to wear it..."

Gabrielle smiles warmly towards "Marie". "Marie, with your beauty and status, you are the only one who could wear such a necklace!" Bohmer nods in agreement. "Y-yes, that's true! There's no other like it. Please buy it, and allow it to compliment your beauty... W-we're only asking for the low price of... 1,600,000 livres..."

(Y-n) was shocked, suddenly this beautiful necklace was not as beautiful. "1,600,000 livres?!" She swallowed hard. "How many years of palace expenses is that?!" Bohmer looked nervous, and started to sweat. He never thought Marie Antoinette would care much about the price. "Your majesty deserves jewelry that benefits her station. This necklace is grand enough for royalty! This is a great purchase! Only your majesty deserves such a necklace!"

No amount of Bohmer's flattery could take away the knot in (Y-n)'s throat. 'Only royals would have funds to buy this. But Louis XV can no longer afford this... is that why Bohmer's here?' Bohmer clears his throat, interrupting Marie's thoughts. "What do you think, your majesty?"

The gems' captivating brilliance did tempt Marie's vanity but was sorely outweighed by a feeling of fear. That was years worth of palace expenses... That money could feed so many civilians... And the thing that was in the forefront of (Y-n)'s mind was the image of a guillotine. It's bloody blade glistening in the sun.

(Y-n)'s hand found its way to her neck. 'I already have a bad reputation. If I spend that much on this necklace, and it gets out, what will the people think of me?... I have a chance to stop things from getting worse... I will not suffer the same fate as Marie!'

Gabrielle gently puts a hand on her friends shoulder, concerned by "Marie"s expression. "Marie... Don't you like this necklace?" (Y-n) smiled wanly at Gabrielle. Anyone worth like this necklace... Myself included." Bohmer quickly cut in. "Then you should take this opportunity, your majesty!" (Y-n) quickly shook her head and smiled politely at him. "I'd would love to, but I can't afford it. Thank you, anyway."

"Oh, please reconsider, your majesty!" Bohmer began to practically beg. "I-if you're concerned about finances... for the sake of giving this necklace, I present a solution... your majesty can pay in installments." Gabrielle nods. "That sounds possible..."

(Y-n) quickly shook her head. "No, no, thank you. I don't need it." She said with a nervous smile. Upon hearing this, Bohmer lost his salesman smile and recoiled slightly. "Oh, your majesty... I'm disappointed..." He was starting to get on her nerves. "Unfortunately, I cannot buy it. I'm sure you can find a more suitable buyer... But thank you for showing it to me." Bohmer forced a smile. "Yes, your majesty... You're the only who deserves to own it... What other owner could it possibly have?" He gently closes the ornate jewelry box and bows. "If you ever change your mind, please send word to my humble shop. I will reserve it for you indefinitely..."

After Bohmer left, Gabrielle turned and faced (Y-n). "Marie, why aren't you buying it? You would have bought it in the past without hesitation... this isn't like you." (Y-n) didn't meet Gabrielle's gaze, in stead looking at the coffee table. "It's pretty, but if I had bought it... It would have only brought trouble. Gabrielle, you know the people of France don't think i deserve to be Queen." Gabrielle frowns. "Well... But that's not your fault... And no matter what you do, they'll still say bad things about you... So you must do your best to live as happily as possible, isn't that right?"

Helplessness and despair well up with (Y-n). Marie's misery becomes hers. The hopelessness of it all felt overwhelming and suffocating to her. 'What's the point of living?... But I mustn't... I mustn't give up just yet.'

With new determination, (Y-n) faced Gabrielle. "Gabrielle, I was too pessimistic earlier. I might still have a chance to change things. Will you help me?" Gabrielle was delighted with her friends change in attitude and nodded happily. "Of course... As long as it makes you happy , I'll always stand my you no matter what decision you make."

(Y-n) clasped her hands together, over her heart, a hopeful expression on her face. "Thank you, Gabrielle. I don't feel so alone now." "What are you saying? We'll always be together, right?" "Yes, you're right!" They both smile encouragingly at each other.

'People may not change their minds about me, but I think I did the right thing today. If I keep trying my best, I'm sure I'll see the results some day.'

With the help (Y-n)'s friends, she starts preparing for the banquet in two days. She felt excited and kind of wished time would skip forward to the day of the banquet.

"What are you going to wear to the banquet instead?" Gabrielle asked, breaking "Marie" from her thoughts. "I'll just wear something I already have! But I haven't thought about how to accessorize my outfit yet..." Gabrielle stood abruptly. "Leonard will help you coordinate! I'll go ask him now."

(I read about Marie Antoinette's death, and now I'm really sad. Dont look it up, just take my word for it.)

8 notes · View notes

bellshazes · 8 months

Text

i think my favorite blorbos are actually guys who live inside of murder by death songs. here is a ranked list:

the two people in the other shore - when i heard true dark as the single you know i doubted this album. but alas & last night on earth/new old city & stone & uh basically every song are the greatest of all time. perfect album. perfect couple. i don't buy last night on earth as a memory i think they are doomed at the moment of reunion.

mr. spring break 1899/'52 Ford - decides to not be the worst man alive moments before death, accepts his death, doesn't even fucking die

sandy - she is a LONER WALLFLOWER which leads to her getting ABDUCTED by ALIENS. justice for weirdgirls!

guy left behind in i came around - when the guy you hate the most dies and at his funeral you discover he might have been okay. and it sucks

white noise - i love. assassins. i love. deep voice. i LOVE. guys who could be the harbinger of an apocalypse

shiola - is it wrong, to love a family of goats? the answer is, of course, it depends [i begin weeping]

ghost fields - not even the narrator, i am obsessed with the sons full of anger and steam (did you find what you were searchin' for did you bury that dream?) and the daughters who return to the fold.

brother - this is basically my dad's side of the family. sometimes your brother is the worst and you still love him and hate cops.

the big sleep - not even bc it's a marlowe reference but because i also love monsieur by thomas fersen. i love disconcerting petitions from/about men who are about to be executed

yes - i love this girl. her mama's singing with the angels!

shoutout to the king of the gutters prince of the dogs, dream in red, incantation, ditch lily, and others for not being enough of characters to make the cut despite being spaces i think about a lot. this has been your six month "please listen to murder by death" check in

#peter posts

3 notes · View notes

jujulebee · 2 years

Text

"I'll just... try again tomorrow, I like... I don't have the energy for this right now."

So crushingly boring. But why? She'd been looking forward to this for like. Weeks. Her schedule was clear and she didn't have anything else to do so... why was even staring at the digital canvas trying to figure out how to sketch something up just so... boring?

Dolls and Jules are both fast asleep by now, surely, and Sam doesn't get off work for another five hours.

I'm not about to encourage Aurora to do drugs just so I can get a fix and abandon her halfway through the night to fuck some stranger. Diana is a hard no, I'm never drinking from her, not a chance. Johnny and Lily were never even options. Almost everyone at the Red Room is kindred, so it's not like I can drink from them. They'd need to drink from someone else first to get fucked up anyway.

Neri's kindred. Lyn's kindred. Noah and Sammy too. None of my online friends are options.

Maybe I can hit up one of my twitch mods? Probably not. I know Day's been sick for the past few days, I don't want to bug them. Fersen's too far away for this time of night, same with Darren. Audrey's a possibility but she's usually busy with work at this time of night.

Frustration finally boils over and she pushes herself away from the desk, dropping her pen in the process. She watches it uselessly clatter to the floor as she slowly slides across the floor, stopping when her chair wheels hit the fluffy carpet near her bed.

"I'm hungry."

There's no one in the room to hear her speak. She stays there for a few silent seconds before she groans out loudly in frustration.

"I'm so sick of being mopey! One day is, like, way too fucking long!" She stands suddenly and stomps towards the master bathroom, flicking on the lights and suffering a mini-final-death when the vanity bulbs burn away the darkness of the room.

If she can't drink off her friends she'll just party sober.

Dress how you want to feel Honey Bonnie Azrael. This mopey shit isn't you. You're a fucking ray of sunshine strong enough to be weaponized against kindreds!

It takes an hour but she's fixed up the quick slopjob she'd done earlier on her makeup. Another 30 and she's dressed, hair pulled up in a messy ponytail. She grabs her backpack and bat and stomps towards the door, pulling it open with every ounce of unpacked aggression in her body barely contained.

"Oh!" Lily stands, hand raised to knock, flinching back when the door swings open. Him living there is still so new for them both, it's not too surprising that that fact escaped her mind. They stand there blinking at each other for a moment before they both untense. He's the first to speak, quiet and reserved. "I uh... I d-didn't realise y-you were goin' out, um."

Damage control goes into overdrive and she flashes a bright smile, hooking her bat in her backpack so she can wave both hands, "Nah nah nah, not for anything important! What's up Lily?"

He narrows his eyes just a bit, almost imperceptibly, untrusting in her honesty. He watched her develop that smile. He knows when it's not real. He's the reason that smile exists, for better or worse. "... Do you want to check out the car show nearby? It ain't very far. I... heard they've got some cool neon stuff I think you'd like."

There's a panic that rises in her chest when she watches her little brother shrink in on himself slightly, unsure, reclusive. She doesn't hesitate to answer, excitedly accepting, "Yeah of course! That sounds supes cool!" He relaxes a bit at that, and she'd breathe a sigh of relief if her chest didn't feel too tight to make the empty motion, "Do you know all the cars that are gonna be there?"

"Y-yeah I think so!" He looks a bit excited by the question, following her as she moves past, "I-I don't think ya even need t'change clothes, really, t-the folks I saw online seemed t'be in that kinda crowd. A-an' if I do see a car that wasn't talked about on the website," He continues, grabbing a leather jacket she'd stolen from their Uncle years ago, "I'll definitely know it."

"Ooooh, Lily over here with the super cool knowledge of all things cars!" Honey says, her grin finally genuine, at least for the most part. "You're gonna tell me all about'em right?"

"Yeah! Absolutely."

She giggles and waits for him to don the jacket to open the door for him, following out behind and locking the door as securely as she can.

This is by far the better option for how her night could have gone.

#action post #artsy shit #long post #alcohol mention #drug mention #lilyyyyyyy 🥺#not viewable ic

11 notes · View notes

dojae-huh · 3 years

Note

You know I have been thinking since you brought up that Do is the one controlling his content with Jae and not management. At first I thought that it is kind of unfair to Jae and kind of sad. We know that both can slip up sometimes and we have seen it. However, fans can make up their own stories or reasons. Heck fans already think JaeDoist are delulu anyway. Of course, it’s the whole thing of not ruining their careers and Korea’s homophobia. Then it made me really think that Do also wants this for himself. Like it must make him really happy and he doesn’t want anything to ruin it for him. That going through the difficulties of hiding and all that is worth it. Also, Jae is willing to go through this too. Because when he smiles at Do it’s really telling that he’s happy too.

Btw just wanted to know if you heard Exo’s D.O song Rose? There is also an English version and D.O has really great pronunciation. Did Do even mention it on his Instagram? For some reason I would like to hear Jae cover or sing a part of this song on a show.

I think at the very start it were the managers who told the two to calm down and who suggested Jae to strenghten his straight image with vlogs. Plus addition of other ships like JaeWoo going to Halloween. It needed to be done to check how mature the two were about the whole thing. Upon seeing both can be trusted the "probation" period was ended, with managers leaving JaeDo alone untill something happened for Do to panic and JaeDo interaction to start being edited out.

I feel like nowadays it's a combination of some "out of sight, out of mind" tactics by the staff and Doyoung's rules of JaeDo not interacting and other neos not mentioning them. Look at how silent Woo was about going to the musical, how Yuta was offered to go without us hearing about it untill the recent group vlive (he said he was too busy to go to Do). How people like Hyuk and Tae try to bring JaeDo up only to meet Do's dissaproval.

I agree that Do goes overboard, but I came to understand it's his flaw. It's very hard to decide what's safe from his stand point. He sees how any small thing can be turned into a witch hunt. And he worries.

Woo and Jae were followed by the fans to the toilet. They "met fans" up close. However, when Mark was talking about Doyoung being the first one to meet fans in real after a year of covid, JaeWoo weren't mentioned. "We don't talk about the bad". This tactic works. And Do uses it with "let the general fans believe we are not close at all", he knows it will be strong enough to cover some slip ups.

It is hard for Jae, especially during work (they keep apart whenever there is unfamiliar personelle around). Do does compensate with big gestures like the Casper sweater though. Jaehyun understands what is at stake and cooperates. As you say, it is worth it for him. They will have to live in separate houses and be very creative about how to go to a vacation together. The will have to separate for the military enlistment. There are many obstacles ahead that are much bigger than not talking for a duration of a vlive or not going sightseeing together.

I've seen D.O. MV. I don't think Do mentioned his solo album (?). Maybe on bubble?

When it comes to IG, Doyoung advertises those who are his friends (or asks permission, the case with Baekhyun). Wendy, Joy, Kyuhyun - he knows them personally (he sang duets with the girls). It's like he doesn't feel the right to mention others, involve them (with his antis) by association. Do easily says stuff like "all Fersens became friends" during a live, sings covers of his favourite singers during instalives, but is much more cautious with posts.

#Ask me away #I'll be your morning star #glee club conductor #foggy green

7 notes · View notes

chibimyumi · 3 years

Note

I hope you're doing well

I have questions if you don't mind

Who do like Axel von Fersen in Marie Antoinette or Axel von Fersen in 1789 les amants de la bastille and also do you like Marie Antoinette in Marie Antoinette or in 1789 les amants de la bastille

Thank you for answering my questions

Dear Anon,

I am doing well, thank you very much! I hope you too.

Hmmm, as a quick answer I would say I prefer both Marie and Fersen from ‘Toho MA’, but the full answer is slightly more complicated.

Firstly, it is almost unfair to compare them to each other because in MA they are the main characters, whereas in 1789 they are main-support or secondary-mains at best.

Secondly, MA has a far bigger focus on the characters because that is what drives the plot, while the opposite is true for 1789, which mainly sells a spectacle. I myself am more fan of subtle and deep story-telling rather than spectacular shows, so the MA versions of Marie and Fersen are more to my liking.

Thirdly, the quality of the characters also depends greatly on the cast. My first view of MA is the A-cast, and therefore my impression of the characters is that they are incredibly well written. After comparison with other casts however, I started to wonder whether it was just the A-cast being too good, and the musical itself being ‘fine’. (In short; I’m not fully sure how much I’d ‘clearly’ have preferred MA Marie and Fersen were it not for A-cast. Click here for a comparison between the two casts written by my friend @wildandwhirlingwords)

But, I shall go into more detail for both characters why MA’s version appeals more to me - someone who enjoys character writing most.

🌹Marie Antoinette🌹

M.A. 2018

In my opinion Marie Antoinette is better in MA because you see her journey and her motivations. We all know that the historical Queen screwed up majorly, but in MA we see why, and in what ways she indeed had very little other choice from her own perspective. She was a flawed foreign woman in a time and place where flawed foreign women were hated most.

In the beginning of the musical the King comes tell Marie that she’d have to live more economically. Marie is clearly not very enthusiastic to hear that, but she also never protests. She just asks ‘why’ and then accepts the answer - albeit broodingly. More importantly however: we need to keep in mind that despite being called Madam Deficit, the historical Marie Antoinette was actually quite economical at first because the Austrian court where she comes from was way less extravagant than the French. It was after her marriage into French royalty that she became more extravagant, because she was criticised for “not being a proper royal” by the French. According to the court, the 14 year old Marie was “a peasant unworthy of becoming Queen.” When you’re that young and criticised by your entire new life, you do everything in your power to make sure you can actually have a life; you adapt. So when Marie was then suddenly told to stop ‘adapting and be a proper Queen worthy of the French”, we can see why more is at stake than “Karen needs to deal with only 10 dresses a week.”

Something else that adds depth to her character as opposed to her 1789 counterpart is that as the story progresses, Marie actually grows. She becomes more mature and more serious, and you see in her how all the events have a clear toll on her. From her own perspective, she really was trying very hard, but anything she tried was inadequate to improve the situation. What she didn’t know is that no matter how hard she tried, the situation was already un-salvageable before she was even born. The populace AND the court had already decided to hate her for being an unintelligent foreign woman from an enemy state, after all. This is an insight most historians nowadays agree on.

In a later scene where Margrid confronts Marie, she asks the Queen: “what makes you think you are better than us?” Marie confirms nor denies, but replies: “I am merely Queen as I was appointed by God.” When she adds: “All I know is duties, you are free,” there is also a clear sense she genuinely doesn’t know why she was appointed by God, but as she is now, all she can do is her best. She is still ignorant, which was a genuine problem about her. She does not know the hardships of not being from the top rank, allowing her say something as insensitive as: “at least you’re free.” But again, despite her ignorance, her feelings are sincere. From all the unfair expectations she was made to live up to from age 14, you really do see why ‘a life without duties’ seemed so much more appealing to her.

1789 - The Lovers of the Bastille

Marie in 1789 is more of a side-character, and the musical itself just is not very character/story driven as MA is. 1789 has the tendency to take the tropiest of tropes and stay on surface level with the characters. Ouki Kaname is an incredibly good actress and she tries her best; but she cannot do more than the script gives her to work with.

In this musical Marie is not portrayed in a very relatable or sympathetic light. She is extravagant because she has escapist fantasies, but we don’t really see what she’s escaping from. The sympathy from the audience is supposed to be drawn from the tragedy that she’s married to the King but is in love with Fersen. Oh, and she has a son but he’s mortally ill. Meanwhile however, you don’t see how her life is so bad she needs to escape... and you also don’t see Marie really being worried about her son than an occasional: “Oh Ill again? Sucks I guess. Gotta cry my eyes out on my lover’s lap, AHHH FERSEN 💗” It was not until her son had already died that Marie woke up, but the lack of portrayal of Marie’s perspective and the pacing really makes one legitimately wonder whether the child did not just die of Marie’s neglect. And about the forbidden love ...we’ve seen enough love triangles with star-crossed-lovers... I don’t know about you guys, but I am numbbbbb to this “problem”.

When Marie receives message from Olympe that she finally gets to meet her lover after a long separation at the Palais Royal, one of the first things she says is: “is that not the place where revolutionaries and prostitutes are gathered?” This immediately sets up an empathy-barrier between her and the common people. This Marie clearly views herself too good for people who do anything to get by; why would you care about her then? Because Marie’s story is not fleshed out you don’t see parts that can make you go: “oh, the revolutionaries really hate her for reasons beyond her control, she is in danger.” Or “she was raised by a puritan society, making her hate on sex-workers; that’s part of her character flaw.” Instead it’s just this Diva being quite judgemental.

Ouki was trying very hard to make the focus about her own safety, but with the script being what it is... she’s still a mostly unsympathetic character who is a martyr of forbidden love.

There is one scene where we see her take on a much more mature and responsible role. That was the first time I personally felt like Marie from 1789 is an actual human being with feelings and personal difficulties. But in great part this is Ouki’s acting... (the other cast didn’t do much for me). What is also important is that Marie was ‘humbled’ because her son died. Marie did not have much of a personal growth, and then she changes to a more sympathetic person because of an external factor just... feels less earned.

In the finale Marie appears again in her execution clothes, and the way Ouki appeared really felt like a punch in the gut. She sings “as a recompense for our griefs, people have learnt forgiveness.” However, the story skimped over the characters so much I was left to wonder: “who learned to forgive whom?” Do you think the people forgave you? Or was there somebody you hated but now learned to forgive? What was your grudge? Do you understand the angry mob’s grudge?

The finale of the musical treats like after the heroic sacrifice of the protagonist (Ronan) the oppressive monarchy was replaced by a good democracy, and a Reign of Terror will DEFINITELY not happen under Robespierre or something. But if you’ve had a BIT of European history you just know it’s a blatant lie. So the finale just feels too simplistic, and this simplistic feeling was in part presented by Marie’s very empty, lip-service-y line.

⚔️Hans Axel von Fersen⚔️

M.A. 2018

Fersen is a bit harder to compare which version is better, because honestly, depending on who plays Fersen in MA, Fersen is either the most generic Hollywood sweeping-lover-hero, or a diamond mine to excavate. In the same post linked above by my friend, she explains in detail the differences between TashiroFersen and FurukawaFersen. K-musical fans, don’t @ me, but from what I can tell, the Korean Fersens are also very... typical.

In this post I have discussed Furukawa’s Fersen in great detail, so I shall skip over these for this post. But to summarise, when portrayed by Furukawa at least, Fersen in MA is very nuanced and restrained. Even if we do not fully credit Furukawa however, then at the very least the script allows enough space and material for an actor to flesh him out so phenomenally well (I think Tashiro and some other actors just.... really missed out on the potential).

Fersen in MA incredibly memorable because the main atmosphere of the imminent doom awaiting everyone is carried by him in a way nobody else does. The moment Fersen enters you feel the tension that the musical wishes to tell. Fersen has seen revolutions, he’s seen the power of anger; he knows shit is going to hit the fan because he’s familiar with this trajectory.

Fersen has excellent self control because he knows how a lack thereof would hurt Marie’s reputation and escalate the growing chaos. You can see very clearly how Fersen does want the intimacy, but to him duty and the grander picture has priority. In all the small actions from Fersen you see how he is a savvy intellectual through and through. (More about reservation later).

In contrast to 1789, we also get to see so much more of Fersen in MA because he is the narrator and a main character. Throughout the musical he’s been trying to de-escalate the chaos and even though his plans were actually well thought-out, the problems were just simply too big for any one person to solve. When Fersen mourns Marie there is a clear sense that he is not really surprised, just really upset that things had to come so far. Instead of singing something accusatory to the angry and hungry people, he sings: “fate, why did you give her everything, only to show her hell in the end?” Fersen truly understands why the people were duly angry, but that not taking away his sorrow of losing Marie who he knows is a better person than people make her out to be.

Also in great contrast to 1789, the finale of MA is rather grim. It does not suggest hope or that all problems will eventually disappear. The story for these people have ended, but the problems and the world will continue to our days, and days far beyond ours. It gives a feeling that the world of MA is so extensive that we - the audience - are part of it. In the finale when we see Fersen again, he also stays in tune with this feeling. “How can the problems of the world be solved, what is true justice? We remain clueless” he sings, and the way he looks into the unknown distance is almost a reminder to us that nobody has reason to stop worrying and fight for justice.

1789 - the Lovers of the Bastille

Now if we were to compare MA’s Furu Fersen to 1789′s Fersen, we see a stark contrast between the two. Where Furusen was incredibly reserved and hyper aware of everything, 1789′s Fersen is just the over-romantic lover who had been pining for his love. For a moment Marie realises she probably should not be cheating on her husband and backs away. Fersen however, is the one to make further advances, actively pulling her back to his side.

When he embraces Marie you see how he is just dreaming and indulging, something Furusen would never do. Furusen might hug Marie, but not without sh*tting 50 colours. 1789′s Fersen is the sweeping Romeo that most of history makes him to be, and little more. But again, Fersen plays but a very small role in 1789, so it is also unfair to compare him to MA’s Fersen.

Regardless of whatever nuance might or might not be there however, it is also just quite hard to like this Fersen because he is ‘just another privileged aristocrat who is just needy’. When making out with Marie in Palais Royale they find out that Ronan fell asleep there drunk. Ronan simply complained that Marie was too loud and woke him, and Fersen immediately shuts him up, and then draws his sword at him for ‘speaking rudely’.

First of all Fersen and Marie, if you’re gonna do a clandestine meeting, you CHECK your surroundings. Second of all, FERSEN Ò.Ó, this peasant is untrained and weaponless; you can’t just unleash your high-ranking martial arts at him with a shiny sword. This is EXACTLY the reason the revolution happened; the people were sick of the suppression of the powerless by the powerful. UGHUM. It truly is mind-blowing to consider how 1789 Fersen and MA Fersen are both...Fersens.

This Fersen is not very involved with the revolution from either side. He just proposes to help Marie and the King escape once, but got dismissed immediately. The following time we see him it is in the finale.

There he stands, a knight in shiny armour singing a really hopeful phrase to a relatively upbeat and hopeful music: “do not rely on force, but seek for hope and courage.” Here again unlike with MA’s Fersen, you don’t really feel like this Fersen has experienced anything. It was like he was an employed special guard, told by his boss there’s nothing he needed to do, his boss is dead, and oh wellll, moving on!

Conclusion

Because Marie and Fersen in MA are main characters whose stories are fleshed out, it really is very unfair to compare them to their 1789′s counterparts in a race of ‘who is better’. In the end of the day, 1789′s aim is to sell a spectacle, and it realllly is a phenomenal piece if you’re there for the spectacle. The choreography, songs, stage, everything is masterpiece-level. So if you’re there for the spectacle you get exactly what you went there for. The story and characters however... not so much. If one is more drawn to a direct, glittery spectacle with hands-down-amazing-songs however, they’d probably find Marie and Fersen from 1789 more enjoyable. If you’re into first and impressive impressions, the MA counterparts might demand a BIT too much attention and patience to get into.

Introduction and character analysis Fersen ‘MA’ 2018

Comparative commentary on MA Cast M and Cast A

#Marie Antoinette #Hans Axel von Fersen #Fersen #MA #1789 #comparative commentary #TOHO #musical #1789 les amants de la bastille

30 notes · View notes

dojae-huh · 3 years

Note

So I've heard countless times on how hard it is to reserve a ticket for dy's musical.

I don't know much about how fast tickets are sold in Korean musicals but is it really normal to sellout?

There is a smaller number of tickets than usual (additional intervals between seats due to covid), however, other Fersens sell fast as well. So I suppose this musical is popular (it's its 5th year or so). It is also Doyoung's first time performing, there are no 127 concerts, fans are eager to see him.

#Ask me away #Doyoung Axel

4 notes · View notes

chibimyumi · 4 years

Note

Hi I have a question if you don't mind I would like to know what your thoughts are on the musical Marie Antoinette and what the story about and what for character Axel von Fersen is and what he does in the story? Thank you for answering my question

Dear Anon,

TOHO’s ‘M.A.’ is either my favourite or second favourite musical EVER. The story and script are SO well written, and the characters feel so real, I have never seen anything like it in the stage media form.

The story focuses on two women with the initials M.A. (Marie Antoinette and Margrid Arnaud). These two women are legit the titular characters and never get their spotlights stolen by others. They are both equally strong and flawed characters in their own rights, no bullshit like ‘she is strong because of GIRL POWER’ or ‘she is strong for the sake of romance’. The writers had the guts to make Marie stupid and Margrid a vicious snake, but also had the skill of never dehumanising either.

I really hope that more people could watch this musical (I offer free English subtitles for A-Version in exchange for proof of legal ownership), so I without spoiling anything essential:

Prologue

This show starts with Fersen receiving news of Marie’s execution. He is well aware that the revolutionaries have grossly dirtied her name for the sake of propaganda, and mourns how the slanders about the Queen will be passed down as canon history. Indeed, the infamous phrases ‘let them eat cake’ or ‘madam deficit’ are what most of us get taught about her, but recent historic research has found that Marie Antoinette was in fact innocent of most claims against her name.

In the prologue, Fersen reminisces about Marie as he knew her, and serves as some kind of narrator of the opening scene. As Fersen sings he brings the audience back in time to meet Marie Antoinette and the events before the revolution broke out.

Main Story

The main story opens on one evening in Paris. Margrid storms into a party organised by Duke d’Orléans where the Queen is also at. Margrid communicates the dire situation the common people are in, hoping that the people with the power to make a difference would open their eyes. The nobility however, seemed most unconcerned, and that event becomes a catalyst of the French Revolution.

Conflict

One of the most amazing things about this musical is the antagonist who wishes to remove the King and Queen, Duke d’Orléans. He has his own view on politics, and just like the people, he can no longer bear to watch France perishing under the incompetence of Louis XVI. This person is the man who would later be known as Philippe Égalité.

He is played by Yoshihara Mitsuo, and the only single actor I have seen in ALL versions that managed to make this ‘villain’ a character so three-dimensional he could be the hero of his own story. In an interview Yoshihara said in accordance with his own performance:

“Can you imagine being the person who has the potential to provide for the French people, but having to witness the country suffer while doing nothing? From d’Orléans’ point of view, if he had not stood up to fight for the legal power to make a difference, he would have been the bad guy here.”

Margrid and d’Orléans decide to cooperate. With intelligence, ambitions and fierce hatred combined, their growing team manage to use the people’s bias against the foreign Queen to turn her into the scapegoat of the toxic monarchy.

Hans Axel von Furusen

Anon, since you asked, I shall do a mini-deep section on Count von Fersen played by Furukawa Yuta. (I only watched the version with Tashiro Fersen once, so I only have an ‘impression’ of him. If you are interested in Tashiro’s Fersen, I trust @wildandwhirlingwords would fill you in on him ^^)

⚠️ If you don’t want to spoiled then stop here! ⚠️

Role

Many would think that Fersen is the love interest of Marie Antoinette, and would therefore fulfill a main role in the musical, perhaps the tragic hero to whom the two M.A.s are the fuel of his heroism. But no, just like I said above, the two M.A.s are the legit titular characters of this production, and Fersen is support cast. Though a phenomenally important role, he never even threatens to take over the main spotlights.

The script for him is relatively minor in comparison to the two leads, but Furukawa’s amazing eye for detail has managed to flesh him out so thoroughly you still know exactly what type of person Furusen is. This ‘fleshed out result’ is something that I have yet to see in any other version of him, even in other musicals, mangas and movies.

Background and Personality

Fersen played by Furukawa is calm, fiercely intelligent, and a jaded war veteran. Having seen the American revolution first hand, he understands the mechanisms behind mass dissatisfaction and the power of people’s anger. Furusen rushed back to Marie from whom he has separated for years to warn her against the dangers he foresees. As isolated as she is however, Marie cannot manage to understand what the war veteran is warning her against.

“I have witnessed a revolution with my own eyes. I learned that much more than any cannon or rifle, it is thoughts and words that are powerful.”

Except worldly savviness, Furusen is likewise characterised by restraint. As Furukawa himself puts it:

“I tried to approach this role from a platonic perspective. He loves Marie deeply, and he realises very well that only by loving her platonically can she remain safe. Rather than proximity, the more sustainable way of love for them is restraint.”

Indeed, Furusen's love is not a fiery romance, instead it is more akin to courtly love. He constantly tries to maintain a safe distance from the Queen.

Finally Marie and Fersen manage to reunite after many years, and she eagerly grabs for his hand. Furusen’s expression however communicates clear concern, and he respectfully takes a step back.

Furusen is not aloof towards Marie because he doesn’t love her anymore. In a later scene it becomes clear that his restraint is his ultimate display of love; he knows too well how Marie’s reputation can’t afford any more blemishes.

After they sing “because my love for you will never disappear,” Marie attempts to kiss him on his lips, but Furusen quickly dodges, silently reminding the Queen of their respective statuses as Lady and vassal. This is a very noteworthy detail that can only be seen between Furukawa’s Fersen and Sasamoto’s Marie. #HyperDetailedActing

Frustration

Another characteristic of Furusen is his immense frustration. Furusen is constantly desperately trying to find a way to save Marie. But with the ever-growing rumours of Marie whoring around, he finds himself bound hand and foot. If he takes action to help her Marie will be hurt; if he does nothing Marie will also be hurt.

Instead, this famed strategist finds his chances reduced to... being passive-aggressive... After d’Orléans had his first clear victory and the Royal entourage take their leaves, Furusen makes a show out of going up to his foe to warn him. They don’t exchange a single word, but the tension and history between these foes are clear as day.

Furukawa and Yoshihara were very passionate about their roles, and they shared in a talk-show how both of them spent hours together discussing their histories. The amazing chemistry between them cannot be described in words, but the result of their character-building are self-evident in the musical. (Click here for an in-joke between these actors.)

Masculinity and Aura

Furusen displays a very gentle, non-toxic kind of masculinity. As discussed above, he knows when to restrain himself, and he knows when to admit wrong. He is also not shy to show vulnerability, COMMUNICATE, and shed some genuine tears.

Generally he just displays a very elegant type of masculinity, never taking up more space than anybody else. It is very pleasant to watch!

Sass

Furusen is not just elegant though! He also displays a very sassy and sarcastic side that are evidence of his highly critical mind.

In this post I expanded on Furusen’s sass, but to put it very short; Furusen is REALLY funny too. In the race against the clock to evacuate the King and Queen, the King steps out of the carriage and suggests they go for a leisurely picnic, and dismisses Fersen. Unable to defy the King’s command, Furusen then makes a cross while ROLLING his eyes.

So yes, I can’t tell you why exactly M.A. is one of my all time favourite musicals without spoiling the critical things, so I highly, HIGHLY recommend you buy the musical for yourself.

I know this DVD is very expensive, and normally I would not dare suggest anybody just spend this amount of money based on my word. But please, this one will surely NOT disappoint you!

If you really are unsure, @wildandwhirlingwords hosts live-streams from time to time, and she told me she is also willing to take requests if she has the time/capacity. She hosts the streams without subtitles out of respect for me (thank you, dear), but she does give live commentary to explain the essentials. Her blog is absolutely great and contains lots of interesting info about Japanese musicals, and M.A. specifically ^^

Here is the purchase link of Version A (Furukawa x Sasamoto x Sonim) from TOHO Mall.

MASTERPOST How to buy DVDs/BDs, and get Free English subtitles from me.

#Marie antoinette #DVD #MA #TOHO #Imperial Theatre #TOHO musical #MA Musical #Sylvester Levay #Michael Kunze #English subs #summary #review #Furusen #Furukawa Yuta #Yun #Sasamoto Rena #Yoshihara Mitsuo #Sonim

29 notes · View notes

margridarnauds · 6 years

Note

Musical ask meme: the one song you always skip (though I'd like to see more than just one), song you still don't know all the words too, song you think could change the world, and a song you wish you'd written

Finally got around to answering! Several civilizations may have risen and fallen since I got this, but here it is.

Song(s) I Always Skip:

1789: La Sentence (Sorry, Olympe!), That One Takarazuka Olympe/Ronan, Fersen/Antoinette song about the world falling down after Fersen’s gotten his Dear John Letter, Maniaque in the Toho version (I’m too busy worrying over whether Laz has had his heart medication in that one, sorry.)

Friedrich: Nur Darauf Kommt’s An (I literally had to look it up to see what it’s called because I couldn’t remember. Like, Spiel Mich is awkward, but at least it’s a jam and in any other musical, I’d be all over it. This is just..awkward. Much like the subplot itself.)

Cleopatre: I generally forget the second act exists, tbh. Especially the motherfucking Mummy Dance.

Mozart L’Opera Rock: Je Dors sur des Roses (It’s a good song, just a little slow for my usual taste. Sorry Wolfie!)

Chess: Heaven Help My Heart (Gives me Jesus Christ Superstar flashbacks. Normally, that wouldn’t be bad, because I love JCS, I just don’t want to listen to it while I’m listening to Chess.)

Jesus Christ Superstar: Could We Start Again, Please?, I Don’t Know How to Love Him (My complaint about the last one isn’t the usual, it’s just that it’s not really that interesting and, tbh, they could have done better with Mary Magdalene. “Could We Start Again, Please” I actually like; it’s just...slow and it’s right between King Herod’s Song and Judas’ Suicide so it’s..awkward pacing-wise for me.)

Tanz der Vampire: Tot ist seine Komisch (For obvious reasons)

Elisabeth: Wenn ich Dein Spiegel War

Dracula: Roseanne (Wildhorn...I know you were trying to write something for Uwe Kroger’s voice, but no. It just doesn’t work. It’s bland, it lags the show behind, and as much as the thought of Roseanne Barr and Van Helsing in a star-crossed romance is intriguing, I’m sure that’s not the mood you were going for.)

Song you still don’t know all the words to:

Not counting the non-English songs since that’s too easy.

Joseph’s Coat from “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.” Can you believe I’ve been listening to this musical since I was, like, 5, at least and I still can’t tell what color the damn coat is?

Song You think Could Change the World-

“Children Will Listen” from Into the Woods, “Do You Hear the People Sing” from Les Mis (there’s nothing like seeing videos from protests where they’re actually singing it.)

Song You Wished You’d Written-

“Wait For It” because then I’d be Lin Manuel Miranda and I’d be fabulously successful. Alternatively “Life After Life” from Dracula, not necessarily because I want to be Frank Wildhorn, but because I want to bring on the goth revolution. (And get a better lyricist tbh.)

#fallenidol-453

5 notes · View notes