- Eli plays Pony in such a soft way, it’s so different from Brody’s. He’s stubborn as hell with some quiet sarcasm and sassiness to combat it his line delivery was so unique he’s def my new favorite.
- Caleb’s Johnny…. Genuinely no words. He’s constantly twitching and squinting his eyes and flinching, he feels older and yet acts younger and more traumatized.
- Daryl fucking Dally everyone. He’s the most 16 year old I’ve seen, Daryl really makes you feel his age and youngest while also showing the walls Dally has built up over the years.
- Sutton Soda is so book Soda it’s insane, he’s just constantly joking and smiling I’m crying.
- Abby Cherry debut! 100% my favorite Cherry, she has so much sass and emotion in her lines. She’s truly meaning every word she says, and really levels herself with those she speaks to. Especially to Pony, she’s so gentle and curious of him and you can clearly see it in her body language and her eyes it’s beautiful.
- Also Alejandro 2bit debut! His Two is an actual scoundrel and cutie I love himm.
- And Derek!Steve Debut too (full of understudies and debuts tonight genuinely)!! He was so chill and making every comment he could in the background during everyone’s lines, he’s judgemental af.
- Everyone feels so teenagerly in a way I haven’t felt before, they’re full of energy and it’s so different god I love this show.
Act 1
- Eli!PB is again, really soft and observant, he doesn’t really have tons of bravo but tries to build himself up.
- Nick!Bob is such a playful asshole during the jumping I hate to love it, him going “Ponnyyy” before imitating a horse and every other Soc doing the same was foul.
- “I wanted to see the Paul Newman movie :(“ Brendon!Trip immediately imitating loud crying.
- Eli!PB and Dan!Darry genuinely going at eachother throats immediately, never have I ever seen a teenager roll his eyes quicker.
- Caleb!Johnny looking actually zooted tf out, that kid looked HIGH everytime I glanced over.
- Daryl!Dally enters and me, my sister and two random girls immediately cheer.
- Daryl!Dally going “Only god and the devil knew what was I was doing at 14” before lining up his bat with his Yk right in my face.
- Not a big shipper but weirdly enough, Daryl!Dally and Caleb!Dally are like the only version where they kinda… give that vibe?? Kinda. Guys stop looking into each others eyes lovingly ‘Little Brother’ is coming up in the next act😭.
- Sutton!Soda screaming his throat raw just for the beginning of GGAH for no reason.
- Alejandro!Two just puffing spoke into Eli!PB’s hair to give him aura?? during their little pamper sesh for him.
- Runako!Ace being so done with Soda before sighing and grabbing her ass with an eye roll.
- Eli!PB getting so excited and immediately looking like he’s gonna kill himself as soon as words leave Darry’s mouth:
- The little scrunch Eli does when Dan puts his arm around him.
- Dan!Darry’s RITF being real gentle, and like he doesn’t want to say or feel these things about his family but he just can’t help it. It’s like he’s letting out a secret that he can’t hold anymore or he’ll explode.
- The Greasers eating their little imaginary cake while PB and Darry give eachother shit.
- Sutton!Sods genuinely being so Disney-esque it’s lovable, pinching Eli!PB’s cheeks and grinning ear to ear. He’s truly embodying the light-hearted jokey brother and has the biggest browniest saddest eyes paired with a quivering lip that makes you wanna cry when he hears about PB’s dreams about their parents. He’s so empath someone get this guy a Spotify.
- God, Caleb!Sky. As soon as he got in that tire he was twitching and scratching at himself and shivering and flinching at every scream, before scrunching into a ball and trying to squeeze himself into the floor. Caleb is terrified and haunted and is not afraid to harden his voice and puff his chest against Dally, which works especially well with Daryl being shorter.
- Usually I don’t comment on this, but seeing Eli off to the side watching the scene with a tired and almost regretful air to him. Like he wishes he could do more. It lowk reminds me of Orpheus, in a way. Doomed to repeat or something.
- Abby!Cherry EVERYONE. She’s so teenage girl, she’s cutsie and girly, she doesn’t feel high and mighty or really Soc-y, she’s just a girl in the most genuine way.
- Daryl!Dal shameless checking out Cherry every chance he gets, GET A ROOM.
- #new drive in chereo i see you
- Logan!Marcia and Abby!Cherry the duo you are, they want to laser beam Dallas Winston into the stratosphere.
- Daryl!Dal being like so catty and making his voice high pitched to annoy the girls.
- Daryl!Dal nudging a little closer on the bench.
- Poor Abby!Cherry getting Cola all over his sweater and Logan!Marcia being like D:
- Eli!PB mewing and being corny af as he swaggered over to the bench, while Caleb!Johnny immediately tucks into his side.
- “16- “14” “DUDE.”
- “Like acouple characters from an outlaw movie!” Eli!PB eyes immediately getting wide, like he just realized the goofiness of their names before excitedly agreeing.
- “Outlaws 😛😛”
- Logan!Marcia being so silly and mean girl, and waving her arms about when Abby!Cherry glanced at her at the succession stand.
- The scene before ICTTYAL deserves a paragraph. Eli and Abby play this scene in such a way that they really feels like teenagers genuinely reaching out to eachother and wanting to understand. Eli’s so like quiet yet sure of his beliefs, and Abby you can tell feels so bad and wanting to prove him wrong. It feels like a real conversation, and full of no bravo or conviction.
- Eli!PB scooting closer to Abby!Cherry and lowering his voice “Truth be told :/…. I’m generalyy an artistic person.” First time I heard loud cackles for this scene.
- Eli!PB flinching and immediately turning away, putting his back against the Soc’s when Bob suddenly confronts them. The kid was terrified and only turned around when Alejandro!Two was firmly between them.
- “shUt uP mArCiA!”
- Abby!Cherry was very unsure of herself and genuinely shocked at Bob’s behavior, poor girls jaw dropped when he yelled at her and she immediately stood her ground.
- A small ‘holy shit’ from Eli!PB when the boys start fighting a little.
- The Socs boys lowkey hotboxing Alejandro!Two and Runako!Ace holding him back before he could retaliate.
- “That didn’t feel too good ngl 😐”
- Sutton!Soda trying his best to be joking and funny during the start of IRITF Reprise, before both him and Eli!PB’s faces immediately dropped at “taking care of family is feeling overrated”, Sutton!Soda looked like he was stabbed in the heart and Eli!PB just scoffed like it just confirmed what he knew all along
- This IRITF Reprise may of been the most violent I’ve ever seen. Dan!Darry was spitting and pushing, Sutton!Soda was so pissed and shoving himself between everyone and Darry’s wrath, and Eli!PB just looked so done.
- Eli!PB plays that slap so GOOD the whole theatre gasped.
- Sutton!Soda absolutely slamming his hands on the table and yelling (maybe fuck?) when Pony ran.
- Eli!PB and his leg bouncing up and down every single time he’s nervous.
- Eli and his little FAFT riff i see you king.
- Genuinely thought Caleb was gonna fall off the stage multiple times during the fountain scene.
- The amount of spit hucked into Bob’s face was shockingly impressive from Eli’s.
- Caleb!Johnny being DRENCHED in blood so much so he rubbed his all over his jeans. He was so fucking scared and once he realized Bob was dead, he screamed and slapped at his head.
- Eli!PB being a soaking wet kitten the entire time.
Act 2
- Somehow I just noticed that when the cop flashes the lights in everyone’s faces, the Socs turn to the left while the Greasers turn to the right (and I think Cherry stays looking forward??), which is a beautiful choice.
- Victor!Paul oh how I love your little musical cries they’re gorgeous.
- Logan!Marcia genuinely crying during the end of JFT.
- PB&J hug at the end of DAMD you will always be famous.
- “Nah, you look like Bert Lancaster” Eli!PN loudly mouthing “fuck mee.”
- “P.S. tell Johnny we said hey” Eli!PB nodding at Johnny
- Daryl!Dal’s moving on monologue being so full of fire and yet you can’t help but notice how this fire is coming from a place of fear for those he loves.
- The way Eli!PB INSTANTLY softens his voice and talks ever so quietly to Caleb!Johnny when he wakes up.
- “There he iss :), bet your killing for a cigarette://“ in the funniest little voice.
- Abby!Cherry very pointedly looking at Johnny when referring to a ‘hopeless war’, which really shows the meaning of HW in a light my dumbass didn’t realize till now.
- Sutton!Soda shoving Chet to the floor and yelling “GET THE FUCK UP” various ‘oohs’ and ‘damn’s
- fun fact about front and center; the rumble will give you some nice and salty gravel right in your mouth.
- Brendan!Tris being absolutely COVEREDD in blood he looked like someone murdered him.
- Alejandro!Two just laying cartoonishly flat on the ground till the other Greasers pulled him up like sir please.
- Eli Talley!PB and huge wide devastedly shell-shocked eyes as he dropped onto the floor after Johnny died.
- Daryl!Dal’s Little Brother is genuinly life changing this man embodies the grief fully and screams out “Does anybody care??” so loudly that made me instantly burst into tears. The attention of detail to him burying his feet into the ground and puffing his chest while sobbing his heart out, and then the absolutely DEAD silence when he died and all you can literally hear is him, shaking and sobbing and whining so fucking hard as he buries his head in his hands it’s absolutely heartbreaking.
- Also him slapping himself in the face during the “do it for Johnny Cade!”
- Eli!PB muttering the word “Winston’s”and Daryl!Dal swinging his head around with a gasp, like someone finally really saw him.
- Dan!Darry making sure to keep Sutton!Soda in a constant side hug the entire time he’s talking to PB AUGHH.
- Eli!PB just lying curled on the ground for the longest time after Sutton!Soda threw them apart:(
- “And when you got nothing you wind up bitter,” Sutton!Soda looking right at Dan!Darry staring at PB, “Or lost!” looking at Eli!PB laid limply on the floor.
- “Idunnoitsjustacoupleofparagraphsitsprobablyterrible-“ “Can I read it?” KILL ME, they are killing me.
- Dan!Darry telling Sutton!Soda that he’s in PB’s book and him getting instantly joyous.
