Lautski Day 4: Help 🤭

Cinderella ella ella ella ella

All Cinderella adaptations can be enhanced/improved by the addition of Bryce Charles spread the word

Each dress reference in order from left to right: Cinderella (2015), Into The Woods (1987 cast), Cinderella (1950), Rodger and Hammerstein's Cinderella (1997), Ever After (1998), A Cinderella Story (2004)

I keep seeing posts like this

HFHWISI THE TEMPTATION

the inspiration for day 2 shoutout to miitopia

day 4: help

i heard sonewhere that there was a deleted scene where steph helps pete with his ghost makeup and i mourn that every day

@lautski-week

THERE'S A CASTLE ON THE HILL, AS THE STORY GOES...

As promised, some initial thoughts on the things I loved about seeing this show. Spoiler free, since most of us haven't gotten to see it yet, and under the cut since I do wax a bit poetic...

Cinderella’s Castle is, in a strange way, an exercise in irony. The show is a retelling of an ancient story that is beloved and recited throughout so many cultures, and yet somehow feels completely fresh. The modern take on glam-punk lighting, a score infused with styles from 80s synth to anime, a high fantasy set with the costumes to match, the spirit of Jim Henson lingering through both the puppets and some larger and intangible vibe, a script combining that Starkid humor and Hatchetfield darkness with a whole different style of speaking… all of these beautifully executed elements melted together into something that I’ve never before seen. To take a tale as old as time and make it unique is no easy feat, but Starkid did so with magic and charm to spare.

Like any good Starkid show, Cinderella’s Castle is relentlessly dynamic: fun and tragic and exciting and just-plain-silly, with many twists and turns and character moments will make you gasp or cheer just as often as you laugh. It simply rollicks. The story clicks right along, especially in act 2, but the characters are so distinct and fun that I found myself almost wishing the Langs had sacrificed their plotting and pace just to spend more time hanging with every single member of this ensemble of personalities.

And that’s also a tribute to the actors themselves. Jeff is David Bowie reborn as the impish and fabulous narrator. Jon and Joey bring Hop A Lot and Crumb to life with so much charm and presence that they practically had the audience eating out of their hands from the very first second. Like, seriously, you will not believe how invested you will immediately become in these talking animals. Kim’s Fairy Queen is as radiant and terrible as promised; her portrayal of immortal inhuman power compels and commands and stands fully distinct from the Lords in Black. Lauren and Mariah are delightfully disgusting as the vile but deeply lovable troll step-sisters; you can feel the fun they’re having practically radiating off of them. Curt’s Tadius is dryly funny and put-upon, but also provides a vitally grounding and centering presence in the larger-than-life world of the Lands That Are. His big scene with Bryce is probably my favorite part of the whole show. James Tolbert is nothing short of an absolute STAR as the Prince, stealing scene after scene after scene with ease and charm and more jokes about genitalia than I think any of us expected. Angela once again displays a completely different facet of her never-ending range, exuding such elegance and control even in trollish filth that I do fear that the kids on the internet are going to start calling her “mother” with greatly increasing frequency. "Facade" was an absolute highlight of the night. And of course Bryce anchors, propels, and heightens every scene she’s in with such apparent ease you forget she’s been rehearsing for weeks and isn’t simply Ella herself. Ella is this world’s bruised, brave, and angry heart, and you will absolutely root for her every step of the way as she wrestles with who she is and learns what it means to claim her own power.

This was Starkid’s biggest budgeted show to date, and you could tell. This group of Michigan Wolverines and friends have accomplished incredible things since the Very Potter days of a single door and some cardboard columns, and I’m so proud of how far they’ve come. And yet Cinderella’s Castle, the fifteenth musical in the fifteenth year, still retains some of that core Starkid magic that I’ve always believed boils down to love. You can so often see that love emanating from the performers on a Starkid stage: love for the show, for their friends, for their craft, for the audience’s energy pushing them through. And the sense of love and support and community radiating from the audience is just as palpable. The man sitting behind me last night was at his first ever Starkid show, and afterwards he remarked in awe how that was the best audience he’d ever been in. And all that love isn’t unearned—it is built and it is nourished by a proud history of creativity, of song and of dance and of laughter and tears. And Cinderella’s Castle, I think, is going to prove an installment worthy of both Starkid’s past and future.

Starkid family, Bogs Hollow grants thee Starlight.

i present, gary slamming homeless man against the counter during feast or famine

something something even through all the change we still stay the same

day 5: change

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day 3- camp

this took me so long you would not believe

Lautski Day 2: party 💃🕺👩‍❤️‍💋‍👨

@lautski-week

Full spoilers review of Cinderella’s castle

Ok so now that I’ve had some time to ruminate, I really want to share my thoughts on Cinderella’s castle

First of all, I think the song that has stuck with me the most was “I want you to watch” (I’m pretty sure that’s the name) I think it stuck with me so much because of the insane vibes. It was such a banger song, played to the chorus of Cinderella being tortured to death. The song was so haunting and insane. And just that one line “I want you to watch” has been stuck in my head all night.

That being said I wish we had access to the cast recording because I already miss the rest of the songs. Like I remember the song about starlight being so beautiful but I can’t even remember it (Cinderella moment amiright)

In terms of costuming it was the sort of thing that felt like it worked so well you didn’t notice it until suddenly Cinderella came out in her Led starlight dress and suddenly it hits you how amazingly accurate all of the clothing has been.

The actors were all amazing. Idk if there’s more to say than that. Everyone slayed, and Jeff was serving cvnt the entire time.

The characters were absolutely amazing. I feel like Nick lang looked at the moment from NPMD, where Richie says “I love being alive” and the audience started crying, and just made a whole play about it. There were so many immediately beloved characters that died (some brought back thank goodness) that the audience were sobbing about loosing.

Honestly I think the show is amazing. I can’t wait for the digital ticket and if I had more money I’d probably go see it again.

Oh also I saw Curt Mega before the show and all of my friends missed him except my mom. I was shaking so hard just from him walking past us. It was nuts