Oh My God I Can Def Go Over 5 Minutes Talking About This Song. But Uh Here.

LET'S TALK COSTUMES YALL!

I don't completely understand the dislike of the Wembley production too well (It's a non-replica production yall, for what it is it's a lot of fun!) but I have seen that a major point of contention for people seems to be the costumes, so I wanted to create a post discussing why I think they are done very well.

First off, they are wonderfully colorful- one of the things that always concerns me in costuming is a disappearance of color in favor of darker neutral colors, but even the characters that have closer to neutral pallets- Rusty, Momma, the Components- all still have elements of color within their designs, and different textures and shapes to make them visually interesting. As this musical is a dream being had by a little kid, the colors also help reflect this as well- Control is an imaginative child, whose made up world reflects that.

The three main engines (Rusty, Greaseball, Electra) all have very distinct appearances, marking them as principal figures and representative of the three different types of engine we see- diesel, steam, and electric. All three have unique color pallets and silhouettes- the exception being Rusty, who shares similar design elements with Momma (though not quite the same colors). The are the main three racers the story revolves around, and they stand out accordingly.

The thing about the other costumes that interests me, however, is how despite the fact that the rest of the characters in the show are all different colors (with the exception of the Components, whose costumes denote them as a group unique to Electra), there are certain design elements used on the other engines, coaches, and freights that helps denote them as such.

The champion engines are the easiest example here- they all have identical costume elements, just done in different colors. All of them have fin-like hairstyles, and identical plating: shoulder pieces that when an actors hands are at their sides can stretch up to their ears, a rounded breastplate with the symbol of the engine in question, and two pieces for the legs.

The coaches also have this- despite being a myriad of colors and having elements unique to their design, they are a couple through lines- namely a piece around the waist than fans out similar to a skirt, and padding on the shoulders (except for Pearl, but she's got other stuff going on there). They also have more form fitting pieces on their legs- similar more to regular pants or leggings, which makes the detail at the waist and the padding at the shoulders the widest parts of the silhouette.

The freights also have a very similar construction of their costumes- oversized pants and large vests with shoulder plating, and then smaller pieces for the arms- they all very clearly do the same job, despite being different colors and with different patterns (Hydra is not an exception to this, but there are subtle differences signifying how he differs from the others- the plating on his arms is not as bulky as the others, the colors on his pants are inverted, and the vest comes down to his waist rather than stopping below his ribs, giving a smoother silhouette and less bulky appearance, to name a few examples).

And of course, the Components- all trucks like the freight, but their main job in the show isn't what they carry- it's to make Electra look good. As such, they all very clearly fit Electra's aesthetic in a way that none of the other coaches or freight fit the other engines- complementary silver and white to their blue and silver, with the only personalization their belts and the shape of the protrusions from their plating. (They aren't the focus of the next picture but I love it too much not to put here in some fashion.)

All of this is deliberate attention to detail- as the majority of theatre-goers are not going to be intimately familiar with the characters, and the train types, and the roles, and the story, and- you get the idea. The shapes of a character's costume helps denote them into a group- if nothing else, an audience member can tell you "oh, that's an engine" or "that's freight". It also helps people sitting further away to track the action a little better- costume details and textures will become invisible at a distance, but bright colors, large shapes and consistent silhouettes help everyone have a good time.

So, if you didn't know anything about the musical, what could you tell me about the trains in this picture?

hello be more chill tumblr im sorry i’ve forsaken you and haven’t posted in a month. have stagedorks

happy holidays from the squip squad!

Kind of sloppy art but I like it!

This is all so real to both the characters and average high school experience lol :)

BMC characters as things I heard while on a white water rafting field trip:

Brooke: My makeup's gonna wash off in the water but at least I'll go in looking slay!

Chloe, Christine, and Jenna: Yes!!!

Raft Guide: Okay, were gonna have a snack. We've got oreos and water cups-

Rich: *excited* WE HAVE PEANUT BUTTER CUPS?!?!

Michael: *also excited* WHAT?!? WE HAVE PEANUT BUTTER CUPS?!?!

*during a water break*

Rich: Don't drink from Chloe's cup cuz' she has mono.

Chloe: STOP!

(said person did actually have mono 😭)

Christine: I wonder what my senior superlative's gonna be.

Jenna: "Most likely to marry a twink."

Christine: ... I wanna argue but... I can't.

Michael: *yelling* *fake angry* YOU'D BE "MOST LIKELY TO NOT FINISH AVATAR-"

Christine: *matching his energy* I JUST DON'T HAVE THE TIME, MICHAEL!

Michael: Me when I lie.

Christine: 😑

Raft Guide: So, what sports do ya'll play?

Jake: *Lists off a bunch of sports*

Jeremy: I do theatre. I don't play sports if you couldn't tell by the fact that I'm the only one on this raft wearing a kid life vest.

*while picking rafts*

Rich: *sees rainbow raft* *excited* GUYS, GUYS- LET'S GET THE GAY RAFT!!

Michael: *singing* 🎶 Be WhO yOu ArE- 🎶

Jeremy: Heh. It's the LG-Boat- TQ. Eh, that was funnier in my head.

*after falling out of the raft and momentarily losing a croc*

Jenna: As that wave was hitting me, I was already thinking about which color crocs I was gonna get next.

Michael: *after changing into dry clothes* This actual feels so good.

Rich: *smiles* That's what she said. >:)

Michael: RICH, I SWEAR-

*playing Paranoia*

Jeremy: *whispering to Jake* Uh, most likely to immediately spend all their pay check on a designer purse.

Jake: * with no hesitation* Chloe.

Chloe: Well, actually, I'd save for a nice car.

Jake: But you still would buy the purse.

Chloe: Well, yeah!

*still playing Paranoia*

Brooke: Most likely to jump off a bridge just to see what would happen.

Michael: Christine.

Christine: Hehe, yeah.

*Rich, who fell off the raft earlier, to Jenna after falling off the raft*

Rich: You wanna be me so bad.

Christine: You cold, Jere?

Jeremy: *insanely shivering* Just a little.

Rich: I have to pee so bad.

Michael: Don't piss in the boat!!

Jeremy: Yeah, no piss boat!!

*getting out of the water*

Michael: I'm so cold!

Jeremy: *grabbing Michael's arm* I need your warmth!

Michael: AH, NO, YOUR HAND IS SOMEHOW EVEN COLDER-

CONGRATS ON 600 I LUV U also can i get some sweet sweet richjakes Please

I GOTCHU

reblog to take the person you reblogged from to the aquarium

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🐟 o ° .

• ° o 🦑

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Do you happen to have any Jake headcanons, thoughts, art, or whatever to spare??? Trying to cause a surge in Jake content for myself because I love him!!

HELL YES

I LOVE MY BOY JAKE, HE DESERVES THE WHOLE WORLD!!!

Here aare some headcanons :D

He's half North American, half Australian.

A pansexual icon, tho he doesn't really care about labels.

He needs to use a wheelchair - he can still stand up and walk on good days, but the fire + his squip kind of fucked up his legs.

Christine, Rich and him customized his wheelchair with funky stickers that glow in the dark.

Still thinks his parents are good people and looks up to them (they are really shitty parents, even if he can't see it).

After Michael told his mom's about Jake living in a crappy motel, they offered him a room in their house.

Michael and Jake are brothers now, your honor. Like, he's a Mell now, they have adopted him, they are a family now, even if at first they were kind of awkward around the other.

He's clearly talented with music, though he doesn't really see it and doesn't do anything with it.

Plays the violin since he was twelve, though he abandoned it after a few years. He still likes to play it when he's bored.

He's in his highschool choir with Brooke. He's a really good singer.

His flirting skills are so lame, but somehow they work??? Like, with Christine - he can say the most pathetic things ever and still sound really charming? Tho I fear that's just canon.

Big fun of Y2k/2010's white girl music, like Kate Perry, Miley Cirus, Kesha, Avril Lavigne...

A sitcom enjoyer - he probably likes them a little too much, especially the ones that revolve around families (The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, Modern Family, Full House...), mostly because his parents were never around that much, so he ended up attaching himself to the families he saw on TV.

When he was younger, he used to be love Adventure Time! It's kind of his comfort show now, because of how nostalgic it makes him feel.

Severely allergic to dogs, which is so fucking depressing because he wants to hug them SO BAD. He's such a dog person. His squip is obviously Air Buddy.

He's also lactose intolerant and Chloe likes to make fun of him for it.

He has watched High School Musical at least 20 times. (Had a crush on both Troy and Gabriella lmao)

He had a goldfish when he was six, called Finn. It died after two months because his dad accidently broke the fishbowl and didn't care enough to buy a new one so he just... flushed it? Yeah, that emotionally scarred Jake for life.

GIFTED KID BURNOUT GOES BRR

He's always trying new things out so he can have his mind occupied and just... stop thinking about everything wrong with his life.

He really cares about Chloe, and he genuinely likes her, the problem is they are so toxic as a couple and neither of them are in the right headspace for a relationship. They don't usually bring out the best of the other. Problem is they don't see it, so they keep running into eachother because they have some attachment issues they'd need to work on separately before engaging in such relationship. It's a closed cycle, I fear. I'd really like to talk more about them bc their relationship is so interesting.

Richjake. That's it that's the headcanon. I just think they're neat.

Goes iice-skating with Christine every winter.

I just KNOW he loves Sweater Weather.

I'd have to write a whole essay (or a fanfic) on why I think he engages in substance abuse, specially after his parents left.

Has a bit of religious trauma I JUST KNOW.

Brooke, Michael and him celebrate movie night at least twice a month.

He's dyslexic and enjoys reading but usually struggles to concentrate, so that's why he prefers audiobooks. He usually listens to them when he's going for a run or clinking his room. He also listens to them when he goes to sleep because he can't sleep with no noise.

Christine turned him into a theater kid. His favorite musical is Legally Blonde, and is the only peace of media that will make him cry.

I wished I could show some fanart, especially one I have where Jake and Rich are standing inside a closet and the thingy from Episode appears with the "So this is seven minutes in heaven?" and they give you the options of "MAKE OUT?!?!?!" and "Strangle him with a coat hanger". I love that fanart, but it's in the sketchbook I share with my bestie and he currently has 👊😔

Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaas love love love love love 🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰

suddenly almost weeping here lmfao cuz i was like “god do you just think about how fucking great the concept of Jeremy and Jenna becoming good friends is” and also i always like the idea of jenna n brooke and jeremy n christine meeting up as casual double dates / hanging out, and also because this is nonbinary lesbian jeremy agenda at any hours of the day i was thinking about how maybe having this front row seat to Girls Dating could resonate on jeremy’s gender wavelength and get him thinking where like, maybe he’s not a girl but....maybe when he’s on a double date it’s like hmm why does it feel wrong to think of this as brooke and jenna being girls dating each other and him and christine as a boy dating a girl.......

(sidebar that Also his Interactions w brooke have activated his [??gender??] feelings as well cuz say, “somehow vibing w brooke struggling to ‘properly’ perform Her Gender / femininity in dwyr (and the fact that jeremy momentarily gets in on chloe & brooke’s choreography to move with them like oh hello? jerryme?” and of course “kinda awkward to do Dating Actions when a) he’s being literally pushed into things sometimes and b) it’s about being A Guy ‘properly’ and so there’s this inherent discomfort there”).........

and anyways i was thinking like hmm jeremy and jenna Friendship, she was the popular kid w the most tenuous connection to the group, she Knows about what went down at the play and they might as well talk about how wild that was, and who knows, jenna and brooke were maybe having their showmance but what if jenna didn’t quite Realize how she feels abt brooke until The Being So Connected “what does everyone really want here” experience, maybe jeremy could be like “i think being squipped gave me fresh Gender Thoughts” and talk about it with her cuz a) he’s not dating her and b) she hasn’t known him for eons like michael has so it’s like, not as much pressure to talk about it. and what im really getting to in a roundabout way is having had the thought of like, jenna ends up being the first person jeremy tells abt i think im nonbinary lesbian.....and then thinking how Jenna Doesn’t Tell Anybody Else cuz i was gonna be like well alright she might’ve spread any lore as gossip but maybe wouldn’t necessarily out someone but then it was like welllll not like speculating rich was dead was very sensitive either but “cuz he knew he was gay” is like, maybe that line of “don’t openly discuss speculation abt people’s sexuality” is not crystal clear to her lmao but let’s go ahead and say maybe yknow, she doesn’t have to feel like getting Any Attention is conditional on having the hottest 411 on everything anymore, and lbr she and rich may not have exactly been the closest pals then lmao whereas it might be a little more obvious like oh this friend of mine is confiding in me, being a Trustworthy Confidant is more valuable / rewarding than to turn around and tell someone like “guess who’s not cis” lol chloe voice I Like Trans People........anyways and yeah so jeremy kind of takes that first foray into expressing his Gender Identity to someone where that someone is jenna and her encouraging response is helpful and she doesn’t tip anyone else off at all for like the two weeks that it takes jeremy to decide to / work up the nerve to meet up w michael and christine to have a “lesbiab :’|” “it’s okay take your time” conversation lmao