skygiants | (no subject)

aquamirage asked me about moments in musical theater that fuck me up every single time!

I'm pretty sure she asked me this because at the time we were watching Into the Woods and I was complaining vociferously about the fact that they cut "No More" from the upcoming film (THEY CUT "NO MORE" FROM THE UPCOMING FILM, ARGH); as you all know I have many, MANY feelings about Into the Woods, but for whatever reason "No More" is the song that, in fact, fucks me up every single time. I think it's because there's no bombast to it; it's the total resignation that gets me.

In other really obvious news that is obvious, I always think I'm cool and totally over it as I sit down to see a production of Les Mis, and then the first chords of "Look Down" strike up and NO, NO, I WAS WRONG, I'M NOT COOL, I'M NOT COOL! ALL THE FEELINGS ARE BACK. I'm pretty sure it's not even anything specific about "Look Down," it's just a Pavlovian response! Pavlovian feelings! Hello, fourteen-year-old Becca, I see you're back again!

But, OK, let's try for something slightly less obvious. "I Don't Care Much," Cabaret -- that's another one where the total resignation of it is much more effective for getting me to feel a lot of complicated things than anything else would be. (The ending of Cabaret also really shakes me up if it's done right, but it's not always done right, and I've seen it done well enough often enough that a mediocre production won't do much for me except irritate me about the fact that it isn't better.)

A short list of other songs that make me feel feelings in shows, although not always the same feelings: "Easy as Life," Aida. The "Johanna" reprise that Sweeney Todd sings in Sweeney Todd. "Les Cloches" and "Liberes" from Notre-Dame de Paris. And, of course, ever and always, "Confrontation" from Jekyll and Hyde, a moment in musical theater that I CANNOT EXPERIENCE without getting totally fucked up with hysterical laughter. NO, NEVER! YES, FOREVER.

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They cut No More? The more I see and hear about this movie the warier I am. That's the song that gets me too, partly because I associate it so much with Will Scarlett and my first year or two of playing him in Milliways, all the character bleed. Also Children Will Listen, but that gets me on a different level than No More which leaves me wanting to cry and hug everyone and then go write fanfic about outlaws.

They cut the ENTIRE MYSTERIOUS OLD MAN. So "No More" goes by default. >.< >.< >.< I'm trying to keep an open mind but WHEN FIRST THIS CHANGE APPEARS IT CERTAINLY SEEMS DELETERIOUS.

I am so, so confused about this movie. Did a Disney exec go to see a production of Into the Woods, decide it would be a great movie after the first half, and then walk out?

The message they seem to be hitting hard is "be careful what you wish for," which ... yes, but no! No, no!

I guess that's not as bad as it could be, for the Disney version of Into The Woods. The rage of everyone who knows It's More Complicated Than That will be vast and terrible, but what can you do.

I feel like perhaps that message is actually a lesson for us ITW lovers who wished for a movie version...

But he's the narrator, he's such a big part of so many songs. How can you have Into the Woods without the narrator?

What you will have is, like, a nice little fairy-tale mashup. You'll have Once Upon a Time, actually, is what you will have. AND WE ALL KNOW HOW WELL THAT WORKED OUT. (Sorry, Once Upon a Time fans.)

Apparently, the Baker fills in some of the Narrator's parts via voiceover - presumably in the opening number, because literally what is the point if you don't start with the whole "Once upon a time" bit. Not sure how much else they gave to the Baker, but they've cut "Ever After" and changed Act 2 all up, so there wouldn't be much Narrator.

GOD DAMN YOU HYDE! YOU AND YOUR EVIL DEEDS WILL ROT IN HELL!

I'LL SEE YOU THERE, JEKYLL!

Good answers, I approve. PAVLOVIAN LES MIS RESPONSE IS THE WORST THING.

Also I just need you to know how much time I have spent in the past however many days listening to the cast recording..............of Into the Woods...................

YOU'RE WELCOME by which I mean WELCOME TO MY LIFE >:D >:D >:D

So now that it's fully sunk into my soul, am I also allowed to complain about the movie changes

Yes, now that the ritual viewing of the Bernadette Peters version has been accomplished, I can formally state that you have all the necessary qualifications to join us in our wailing. Rant on, my friend! RANT ON.

I'm confused where people are getting this information about what has been cut?? Is there a link somewhere?

grrlpup said she didn't know "No More," so then I had to dial it up for her, and when we got to the end she went *pat pat pat* on my head, and when I asked why, she said in case it took me the same way it takes

skygiants. And then I scoffed, because I am made of Steel and Iron and Diamonds and other very tough things.

...and then ten minutes later, getting ready for bed, I was all, "I listened to a sad song before bed WAHH!"

So by my reckoning, you have much to pay for.

Look, I warned you! You both went ahead at your own risk! I SIGNPOSTED THE DANGERS CLEARLY. No more feelings. :( :( :(

ATTRACTIVE NUISANCE.

Attractive nuisances require more than just signposts!

That's only an applicable argument when the people at risk can't read the sign! YOU COULD READ THE SIGN. :P

ALL THE FEEELINGS. I was going to be all cool and snarky and grownup about the Les Mis movie (for example), and NO NOT HAPPENING. Also "One Day More."

So my first exposure to "Confrontation" was David Hasselhoff and the hair-flinging. Which I think scarred me forever to the point where that's all I can think about when I hear that song!

Oh man, I was SO CONVINCED I was going to laugh my way all the way through the Les Mis movie! Oh, the innocence of youth. (OK, I did laugh my way through parts of the Les Mis movie but I ALSO HAD FEELINGS I DID NOT EXPECT.)

Oh, man, let me explain: I grew up on the David Hasselhoff Jekyll and Hyde. I have seen that horror more times than you can even count. It's like an old friend. An old, horrific, mentally scarring friend that you are still kind of glad you know just to see other people's faces when you introduce them.

NO MORE FEELINGS. TIME TO SHUT THE DOOR.

LOL I totally get the Pavlovian Les Mis thing, too. (I took a class on it in college, and the professor insisted on showing clips from various movie versions of it, including the 10th anniversary concert. Super awkward. "Non, je ne pleure pas. J'ai quelque chose dans mon oeil.")

Haha man, I would have been in SUCH TROUBLE if I had watched the 10th Anniversary Concert in a college class. "Becca, why are you sitting in a corner with your hands clutched together --" "NO REASON!!!!"