As I mentioned in my Legally Blonde post, I’ve been dying to talk about a current obsession of mine: Hedwig And The Angry Inch. I waited on this one since it’s not a show that most people are familiar with (besides that one Riverdale episode which I will not be talking about because it makes me angry) and it features more mature content, plus rock music and drag–all the makings of a great show. Hedwig first premiered off-Broadway in 1998 starring John Cameron Mitchell, who wrote the show alongside Stephen Trask. After various international tours and productions, the show finally saw its Broadway premiere starring Neil Patrick Harris in 2014.
Neil Patrick Harris (more like Neil Patrick HAIR-is) as Hedwig in 2014 on Broadway
Other than the sequence of the songs, the show does not take the form of a regular musical as it is framed as Hedwig delivering a monologue in an abandoned theater. A clever story that deserves praise for its wittiness as well as its vulnerability, Hedwig begins with a powerful introduction comparing herself to the Berlin Wall entitled “Tear Me Down.” The first lyrics explain, “I was born on the other side of a town ripped in two. I made it over the great divide, and now I’m coming for you.” This brief introduction to Hedwig’s backstory refers to how she was raised in East Berlin (the Soviet-controlled side of the wall), and made it to the West with the help of her boyfriend Luther. This escape is further developed in the exuberant “Sugar Daddy”, in which Luther meets young Hedwig and bribes her with candy to begin dressing more feminine in order to escape as a heterosexual couple. In “Angry Inch”, Hedwig explains the botched sex-change surgery she underwent at the hands of a doctor Luther found. If I haven’t lost you yet–and I know that’s likely since both of those songs sound insane–you should really go listen to the music. I promise, it’s so good. Even better is “The Origin Of Love”–the most popular tune from the show–with incredible lyrics like this:
The last time I saw you, we had just split in two. You were looking at me, I was looking at you. You had a way so familiar, I could not recognize, cause you had blood on your face, and I had blood in my eyes. But I swear by your expression that the pain down in your soul was the same as the one down in mine.
Lena Hall as Yitzhak (L) and John Cameron Mitchell as Hedwig (R)
There are several more amazing songs (“Wicked Little Town”, “The Long Grift”, “Exquisite Corpse”, “Hedwig’s Lament”, “Wig In A Box”) and so much more to the plot than I have space to cover… good thing there’s a movie version! Just as Legally Blonde is by far the best screen to stage adaption, Hedwig And The Angry Inch is the best stage to screen adaptation. Since it is both directed by and starring John Cameron Mitchell, it stays true to the original source material.
On a final note, my favorite aspect of Hedwig is the gender theory of it all. The role of Hedwig has been played by men, women, and nonbinary people. In a 2014 interview (below), John Cameron Mitchell stated that Hedwig “does not speak for any trans community” since she was unwillingly mutilated. Yet, many people who are genderqueer identify with Hedwig, as she is described as “more than a woman or a man” in the “Wicked Little Town” reprise. Furthermore, the role of Yitzhak (Hedwig’s husband) is also fascinating because he is typically played by a woman dressed in drag, while the character himself is an ex-drag queen. The show as a whole is so powerful because it leaves the audience asking, “What even is gender?”, after witnessing its insignificance in the world of Hedwig And The Angry Inch.
Hundreds of billions of dollars’ worth of food, labor, and water are wasted each year as 30-40% of the food supply in the United States ends up in landfills[1]. Here at Penn State, the university has taken a step to promote the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal #12—responsible consumption and production—byinstalling screens to display food waste statisticsin each dining commons. These screens alternate between displaying the pounds of food wasted for the current and previous day, anddisplaying previous monthly totals next to the projected waste for the current month. After thoroughexaminationof these displays, both flaws and strengthsof the visual design elements, utilization of the rhetorical situation, and deployment of social movement tactics become evident.Since the goal of ensuring responsible consumption and production continues to become more and more important as the global population increases, many other institutions and organizations are also taking steps to promote this goal, such as Global Footprint Network with their Earth Overshoot Day campaign.This campaign, which determines the date each year when humans have exhausted more resources than can be produced in a year,is effective in some ways in which Penn State’s dining commons displays fall short. Though eachinitiative operates in a vastly different manner (and neither is entirely productive or faulty) the Earth Overshoot Day campaign proves effective in terms of using kairos and establishing trust through ethos, logos, and pathos, as well as the use of a more hopeful tone.
In this second edition of Sound Check, we’re changing it up a bit. The single day of ranking fifteen songs is far behind us. For the sake of time efficiency and my sanity, we will now go through core components of a show and talk about the songs outside of a strict format. Let’s get right in to this week’s musical: Legally Blonde.
As what many theater fanatics consider the best musical adaptation of a movie, Legally Blonde stands out from other stage adaptations in terms of plot, music, and improvement upon the original source material. The plot is mostly consistent with the movie, as Elle Woods follows her ex-boyfriend to Harvard Law School and goes on a journey of personal growth.
There are a couple big differences between the movie and the musical. For example, Emmett Forrest (Elle’s friend at Harvard turned love interest) has a larger role in the musical, specifically in the song “Chip On My Shoulder”; Elle’s success seems like more of a credit to him than to her own intelligence and agency. While I do not like the way Emmett’s character is expanded, I love how the role of Vivian (Emmett’s new girlfriend at Harvard and antagonist to Elle) is expanded to include character
development and demonstrate how women can stick together in the face of adversity. Vivian also gets to sing the best lyric of the show (“you’ve got the best freakin’ shoes” from “Legally Blonde – Remix”). Fun fact: in the original Broadway cast, Vivian was played by Kate Shindle, who was Miss America 1998. Another fun fact: Christian Borle (OBC Emmett Forrest) left his wife Sutton Foster after allegedly having an affair with Laura Belle Bundy (OBC Elle Woods). I mean, how could you not fall in love with someone after singing “Legally Blonde” with them twice a day?
I’ve already mentioned “Chip On My Shoulder”, in which Emmett teaches Elle how to study and stay focused in order to rise to the top of her class. Something special about Legally Blonde: The Musical is how every single song progresses the plot. There is not a single song that exists in a vacuum; all songs continue the story and provide deeper insight into the character(s)’ feelings. This is a longer song full of exposition, but the swelling ending is what truly makes it special. Other musical highlights from the show include “So Much Better”, the big act I closer with Elle and her sorority sisters singing after Elle lands the law firm internship, and “Legally Blonde”, the 11 o’clock number after Elle’s professor hits on her and she considers dropping out and leaving Emmett behind. The motif of seriousness and the commonplace of women not being serious or professional enough follows Elle in “Serious” and “Serious-Reprise”, both showstoppers (in my opinion) sung by her ex-boyfriend who dumps her for this very reason. This is why it’s so special at the end when she decides to wear pink to Brooke Wyndham’s trial; she shows that you can be yourself and still demand to be taken seriously. Of course, I have to mention my personal favorite song in the show : “Take It Like A Man” (ignore the terrible quality of the clip below, it may or may not be bootlegged from the MTV 2012 pro-shot). This song is spectacular because it uses the phrase “take it like a man” to relate to something typically feminine: shopping for clothing. The vocals are spectacular, the set design is amazing, and the lyrics are clever; what more could you ask for? (well, you would be incredibly valid to ask for some diversity within the cast, but hey, recent revivals such as the London Regent’s Park production have proven that the show can have a diverse cast and still be a huge success, so maybe we can excuse the early 2000s-ness of it all.)
And now, my personal favorite part of Legally Blonde: The Musical… the MTV reality show The Search For Elle Woods in which a group of women competed in ridiculous changes to win a spot as the next Elle Woods on Broadway succeeding Laura Bell Bundy. The entire series is available on YouTube and I’ve watched it at least twice all the through. The challenges the hosts put these girls through were insane, such as having to write down one thing they hate about each other and singing on spin bikes or performing outside in the cold. In a later Zoom cast reunion, the contestants shared that most of the drama wasn’t even real, the producers at MTV just worked so hard to pit them against each other–the antithesis of what Elle Woods stands for might I add. Either way, it makes for some entertainingly outdated reality TV. Last fun fact: Lena Hall (pink dress, red hair with bangs on the couch in the pic below) did not win the show, but went on to have a super successful career and just started her run as Audrey in the Little Shop of Horrors revival off-Broadway. She is most known for winning a Tony for her performance as Yitzhak in Hedwig And The Angry Inch, my current favorite musical that I will likely cover sometime in the near future.
In the meantime, we should all strive to channel some Elle Woods energy as classes pick up this semester. Live every day as if Warner just dumped you to go to Harvard <3
Out of the pitches today, one that really stuck with me was Molly’s. Her presentation was strong and conveyed Greta Thunberg’s energy through the pitch. I can tell climate change is a topic that Molly is passionate about, so I can’t wait to watch her speech and read her rhetorical analysis essay. There is so much potential for rhetorical analysis in Thunberg’s speech and so many ways it could be done, and Molly chose perfect lenses through which to accomplish this. Specifically, the choice of breaking down the commonplace of childhood innocence and the role it plays in the speech is brilliant. Most of the speech hinges on Thunberg’s youth, which she uses to foster empathy and awareness. Combine that with a dive into the meta-competency of temporal thinking and ideological criticism, and this sounds like an essay sure to provoke many thoughts on the subject of rhetoric surrounding climate change. On top of all this, the arrangement of Molly’s pitch was clean and well-planned. It was easy to follow and flowed nicely, so excellent use of the style canon. Molly, if you’re reading this, great job and I look forward to seeing more of your work in the future!
In this first edition of Sound Check, we’ll be taking a deep dive into Hadestown, a highly-acclaimed, sung-through musical currently playing at the Walter Kerr theater on Broadway. Based on the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, Hadestown offers a political twist on a timeless tale. The basic premise involves Orpheus, a naive boy in love with Eurydice, a girl who grew up poor. Due to Persephone (Greek goddess of nature) and Hades’ crumbling marriage, there “ain’t no spring or fall at all anymore”–a metaphor for climate change. In addition, Hades’ domain is not Hell, but a factory sustained by the labor of emotionless and nameless workers. Long story short, Eurydice signs her life away to Hades as life in Hadestown seems better than the hell that is the real dystopian world, and Orpheus walks into Hadestown to sing a little song that rekindles Hades and Persephone’s love, convincing Hades to let the workers walk out of Hadestown. However, there’s a catch: Orpheus has to walk in front of everyone and cannot look behind him to check if Eurydice is still following him. In the end, Orpheus messes it all up by turning around. Truly tragic.
What is NOT tragic though is the incredible music written by Anais Mitchell. While there exist 40 glorious tracks of dystopian drama in the soundtrack, we’ll focus on my top 15.
“Flowers” is a gorgeous song that ties in to the nature theme of the show. The simple instrumentals and steady melody makes sense within the context of Eurydice losing her identity in Hadestown, especially the lyrics, “Dreams are sweet until they’re not / Men are kind until they aren’t / Flowers bloom until they rot and fall apart”, which work well to convey her disillusionment with Hadestown society. While it carries these strong qualities, it does not stand out in terms of vocal performance or dramatic instrumentals like the following tunes.
A devastating finale, Hermes starts this swelling ballad to conclude the story and spread the message that “To know how it ends and still begin to sing it again–as if it might turn out this time–I learned that from a friend of mine” (referring to Orpheus). Mitchell’s songwriting genius is evident here as this reprise transforms the original upbeat introductory number into a somber yet hopeful, not to mention the lovely harmonies on “It’s an old song.” As for its place in the ranking, the song is so slow that it lacks room for outstanding instrumental moments, yet it still remains in the top 15 for lyrics and specifically Andre de Shields Tony-award-winning performance.
“Why We Build the Wall” shocked me the first time I heard it in 2018. It’s a head bopper with a steady beat and a surprisingly relevant meaning–despite Mitchell writing the song in 2007, pre-Trump-era. In a 2016 interview, Anais Mitchell claimed that she typically introduces it at concerts by saying, “This song is ten years old… Any resemblance of any contemporary political figures to the King of the Underworld is purely coincidental.” During the Hadestown Talk at Google, the cast mentions times when people have stood up and walked out of the theater during that song, as well as the experience of singing the song during international performances and understanding that the audience perceives it as an American theme instead of the universality that Mitchell was going for. Regardless, Mitchell’s genius shines through yet again, and as always, Patrick Page’s stunning bass voice and authentic-feeling moments of anger bring the performance score up.
If you have never heard any Hadestown music before, I highly recommend you start at 2 minutes and 40 seconds of this song. It was the first clip I heard from the show and I remember listening to the clip over and over again on the Hadestown Instagram since the original cast recording did not include Eurydice’s verse. The performance score ranked so high for Eva Noblezada’s extraordinary belting and the ensemble (known as The Workers) superb vocals. I did however deduct points for Hermes verse since just like the first Wait for Me, Hermes’ verse does not rhyme and it drives me insane.
I truly believe this is one of the most beautiful love songs of all time. The perfectly ominous instrumentals tie in to the dystopian setting, while the lyrics blend together and match both Orpheus and Eurydice’s personality so well. Extra points for gorgeous violin and the lyric “All I’ve ever known is how to hold my own, but now I want to hold you too.” Incredible.
Though short, this song is a pivotal moment and an amazing choice plot-wise. Lyrics would have scored a 99 but I made a slight deduction for “the way is dark and long”, because I feel like there could have been some better, less suggestive word choices there. The lyrics otherwise are spectacular, from “You can have your principles when you’ve got a bellyful” to the choice to have the second “I’m gone” be spoken-word. This song includes a clever reference to the original myth (in which Eurydice dies via rattlesnake bite) as a rattlesnake sound occurs before the train whistle. Extra instrumental points for the violin plucks at the end, too, and performance points for The Fates (three supporting characters who follow the main characters around and advise them–usually to no avail).
While I did not like this song initially, it really grew on me. It features the two best performers (in my opinion) in the original Broadway cast, Amber Gray as Persephone and Patrick Page as Hades. I love the dark and grounded tone and the tense mood fostered by their excellent acting that carries over in to the cast recording. I always appreciate a theatrical song that sounds like a normal standalone song yet still contributes to the plot, and this song fits the bill.
On that note, “Hey, Little Songbird” is another song that features Patrick Page’s low bass voice, so automatically it became one of my favorites. Enchanting to listen to, it does contain a weird verse for Eurydice that docked some lyrics points, but Page’s performance brought the score up overall. The dark orchestration is perfect for this moment in the show and adds to the enchanting energy. This song accomplishes the job of character development and maintains character fidelity that makes sense for both Hades and Eurydice, while maintaining its status as a stand-out number.
Referenced in “Gone, I’m Gone”, this fierce tune punches you in the face with lyrics like “And the first shall be first / And the last shall be last / Cast your eyes to heaven / You get a knife in the back”. I cannot explain in writing the power of those lyrics in writing–especially in context–so I highly recommend just giving it a listen or even better: watching the Hadestown NPR performance and learning the choreography. Full of amazing vocals and instrumentals that make you want to dance to a song about the apocalypse, this tune ranks high mostly because I’ve listened to it so many times.
See #3: Chant for my full thoughts on the chants. This reprise specifically is notable for its political lyrics, such as “Why do we turn away when our brother is bleeding?” and “Why do we a build a wall and then call it freedom?” It represents The Workers gaining class consciousness, a vital moment in them deciding to walk out of Hadestown. “Chant(Reprise)” also includes quite possibly the most powerful moment in the entire show. The heavy instrumentals in this moment are INSANE–I can hardly describe it in writing. Drop what you’re doing right now and listen to “Chant (Reprise)” from 3 minutes in.
Quite possibly the best standalone song in the show, “If it’s True” features Orpheus motivating The Workers to realize their circumstances and rise up against the powerful Hades. My only gripe with this song (and why I docked performance points) is the original cast recording (pre-Broadway) featured Bon Iver as Orpheus, and I prefer his lower voice to the less-mature-sounding Reeve Carney (Broadway Orpheus), though I understand the change in terms of character fidelity and development. The instrumentals play an important role in fostering the inspirational tone, and the steady beat makes “If it’s True” one of my most-played songs, probably ever.
One of the fun songs in Hadestown, “Way Down Hadestown” includes a dance break that gives the instrumentalists a time to shine. A perfect song to dance to, the lyrics poignantly describe life in Hadestown in a vibrant way. Lyrics like, “An eye for an eye!” are the cherry on top.
“Chant” makes me wish I could sing. Each character brings a different style to their verse, and the intense instrumentals change to match each characters’ tone perfectly. Truly an exemplary piece of musical theatre. In my opinion, Eurydice has the best verse. This might be more a credit to Eva Noblezada’s vocal skill than the writing of the song, but either way, incredible composition and performance all around.
On that same note, “Our Lady of the Underground” is also incredible around, but in a very different way. As I mentioned before, Amber Gray is my favorite performer in this show. Her take on Persephone as an eccentric and strong character brings something different to the original myth. Combined with her strong voice, the clever lyrics make you want to dance. The tune of this song is so different from the rest of the show as it juxtaposes the gloomy mood. Extra points for having the character of Persephone introduce the members of the band during the an instrumental break.
At last… my absolute favorite song in the show. I know most fans of the show might disagree since this song appears very unassuming at first, Patrick Page’s performance brings this song to number 1 on the ranking. This is likely the darkest song in the show, with the most powerful lyrics and dramatic instrumentals. My favorite lyrical moment of possibly all of musical theater is from this song: “She’s out of sight, and he’s out of his mind.” Absolutely showstopping.
And that’s it! Let me know if you listened to any of the songs an what your thoughts are, and if you were a fan prior, what’s your ranking?
Did you know 1,927.9 pounds of food were wasted at Redifer Commons during the month of August alone? At least, that’s what the screen above the trash and compost bins in the South buffet says.
These screens exist in every dining commons as a result of Penn State’s sustainability efforts– specifically in alignment with the United Nations’ 12th sustainable development goal to “ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns”.
Whoever created the slides that are displayed on the screen had the student body in mind as one of the slides claims, “Every day in the U.S., we waste enough food to fill the Rose Bowl”, which appeals to the typical Penn State student’s affinity for college football. However, this is where the designer’s awareness of the audience ends. The slides display negative reinforcement. There is something off-putting about placing blame for food waste on us college students who can barely afford to eat substantial meals outside of the commons buffets.
In my rhetorical analysis of these dining commons screens, I will compare different slides from every dining commons and investigate specific rhetorical choices through the lens of commonplaces and social movement studies, in addition to placing the statistics into international perspective. On the slides, commonplaces are found in statements such as “Together we can make a difference”, while the use of first person plural pronouns creates a sense of solidarity that is a key social movement tactic (in this case, the zero-waste movement).
This topic is incredibly relevant to all of us as we encounter these screens on a daily basis. By breaking down the components and implications of the slides displayed in the dining commons, I hope we can each approach reducing food waste from a more holistic angle.
When talking about New York City, someone is sure to mention the high levels of crime and perceived apathetic attitudes of residents. In March 1964, the murder of Kitty Genovese became front-page news in a New York Times article that claimed “37 Who Saw Murder Didn’t Call The Police.” At a time when America was rapidly urbanizing, Americans were starting to realize the dysfunctional NYC government policies along with high crime rates, but up until the publication of that article, few were actually talking about it. This breaking news gave not just NYC residents but all Americans a reason to accelerate the belief that cities were becoming more and more unsafe. The underlying discontent with city living festered into an exigence that motivated the immortalization of Kitty Genovese’s murder as a symbol for bystander and urban apathy.
Catherine “Kitty” Genovese was a 28-year-old bartender living in Kew Gardens in Queens, NY. During the early hours of March 13, 1964, she was followed by a man (known later as Winston Mosely) on her walk home from a late shift at the bar. In a dark alley, Mosely stabbed her with a knife, puncturing her lung. She stumbled in to a back hallway of her apartment building where Mosely found her ten minutes later, stabbed her several more times, and raped her.
There were several witnesses, but not 38 as the article led readers to believe. A few witnesses later said they heard screams but assumed it was a domestic fight, which was sadly not seen as severe or irregular in the 60s. One man mentioned his father did in fact call the police, and another man opened his window to yell “Let that girl alone!” during the first attack. When Kitty entered her building, her friend Karl Ross opened his door and saw the second stabbing, but he did not call the police right away. However, the original story left out that Ross was a gay man. He had a valid fear of interacting with law enforcement. Ross called a neighbor named Sophia Farrar who ran into the hallway, not knowing if it was fully safe to or not, and held Kitty in her final moments.
It is clear that the real events do not reflect an overall apathy of ordinary city residents and that there are several inaccuracies in the original article. The police controlled the narrative from the beginning as it was a chief commissioner who pitched the story to a NYT editor. The article left out that Kitty Genovese herself was a lesbian, despite the police’s harassment of Genovese’s girlfriend. The NYT writers were acutely aware of constraints such as the typical reader’s traditional values. It was a story that spoke to the growing uneasiness of city residents and motivated movement into the suburbs, thereby contributing to urban sprawl and the construction of our prevailing, unsustainable car-dependent infrastructure. Though cities tend to have higher crime rates due to a higher population density and exaggerated socioeconomic divides, the commonplace of the apathetic city resident is damaging. The original narrative of Kitty Genovese’s murder is still used today in textbooks to describe the bystander effect (not taking action if there are other people around out of an assumption that someone else will take care of the situation) and spread the overgeneralization of urban apathy. The NYT article is an example of dehumanizing someone to appeal to a commonplace regardless of the instances of the isolated scenario, and it serves as a reminder to write with integrity and encourage empathy.
SOUND CHECK: a blog dedicated to instilling an appreciation for musical theater in college students with limited time on their hands.
Each post will feature a different musical (both Broadway and off-Broadway) with a ranking of every song in the show’s official cast recording. With the help of my objective and definitive ranking, readers will learn exactly which songs to listen to in order to prevent wasting time on the flops. Explanations will follow each ranking, along with a score determined by my handcrafted song-scoring algorithm. Points will be awarded for impressive features such as jaw-dropping vocal moments, motifs, and cohesive instrumentation, while deductions will be made for out-of-place lyrics and “cringe.” Plus, every post will feature interesting tidbits from my embarrassingly large arsenal of theater facts. From critiques of plot changes between productions to moments of intense admiration for overlooked numbers, Sound Check is your ticket to all things musical theater.
—————————-
Backup pitch: A Deep Dive Into The Music Of Taylor Swift
LONG STORY SHORT… Each post will focus on a few related TS songs and provide a GORGEOUS analysis of the themes, contexts, and lyrics. Though Taylor Swift tends to be a DELICATE subject for many, this blog will give non-Swifties a chance to BEGIN AGAIN and develop a taste for thoughtful country pop. From the songs we know ALL TOO WELL to the deep cuts, we’ll JUMP THEN FALL into the world of TS.
Are you READY FOR IT?
Backup pitch: True Crime but not murders, more like scams and such with a comedic twist
development and demonstrate how women can stick together in the face of adversity. Vivian also gets to sing the best lyric of the show (“you’ve got the best freakin’ shoes” from “Legally Blonde – Remix”). Fun fact: in the original Broadway cast, Vivian was played by Kate Shindle, who was Miss America 1998. Another fun fact: Christian Borle (OBC Emmett Forrest) left his wife Sutton Foster after allegedly having an affair with Laura Belle Bundy (OBC Elle Woods). I mean, how could you not fall in love with someone after singing “Legally Blonde” with them twice a day?
In the meantime, we should all strive to channel some Elle Woods energy as classes pick up this semester. Live every day as if Warner just dumped you to go to Harvard <3
