yeah no okay i need to sleep but i also more importantly need to talk about stairway to paradise. literally what the hell is that about. chris wheeldon must've known how queer that number is right?? right????
i mean, the beats are like so:
first: henri struggles with his performance. though he loves dancing he's nervous, he's cracking, he has the stage presence of a newborn deer. he approaches adam for help, and the moment adam encourages him... he's able to bring his fantasy to life.
second: about a fourth into the performance/fantasy, suddenly adam shows up to dance with him. not his ballerina fiancee. adam. his other half, if you will, in the song-and-dance duo. henri briefly questions it, they have cute banter, and then.
and then they have a marvelous goddamn time.
third: adam and henri fall into rhythm as if they'd been doing this for years. they take turns on the verses, on the dance... and they dance together in sync, joyous and unrestrained. henri's certainly enjoying himself. he's living his ultimate dream, the vision that he's striving for all his life. which... just so happens to have adam in it. nothing quee- i mean strange about that at all. just guys being dudes. having your best friend be in your dream fantasy. sure.
fourth: he kicks adam out eventually, because of course, and henri's free to finish on his own terms, carrying that levity into real life and ending strong. he slayed. he was fantastic. he even managed to convince his parents to support him. he was finally his true self.
what a nice fun number. so nice, in fact, that the show then does the same thing again! but this time, it's with JERRY AND LISE.
you know, the main romantic couple of the show???
an american in paris goes like this: lise is agitated about performing, stating that there's no real passion when she dances. even though she loves dancing, there's just something missing. when the ballet starts, about a third into it jerry appears. she briefly questions it, and then they fall into rhythm like they've always done by the seine. lise feels that passion again, and after jerry leaves and the fantasy ends, she's able to finish strong and absolutely slay the performance, finding her true self... and her true desires.
SOUND FAMILIAR???.
the fact that these two numbers are back-to-back as well?????? like we're supposed to see those parallels right?? i'm not going insane??? ignore the fact that it's 3 am.
to be fair i've thought about this for years but the details finally hit me and i'm just. dude. yall see my vision? stairway to paradise is to henri as american in paris is to lise. and so it follows, then, that jerry is to lise as adam is to henri.
god how are they literally so gay without being that gay at all. i am taking this show by the collar and shaking it. what did you meaaaannnn by this i swear to god!!!!!!!!!!!
