💢 bandstand >:)
Oooo okay! I absolutely adore Bandstand but I have a few minor gripes
This only really applies to the papermill/Broadway productions (rip tour you could’ve gone far) but it’s always felt extremely strange to me that the entire cast is white (or at least looks white) except for one person like idk theater is such a diverse industry and black people both created swing and played a crucial role in WWII and like the voices of POC are especially important in the examination of the mistreatment of veterans especially after WWII (thinking about how commonly veterans of color were denied benefits or dishonorably discharged)
They had absolutely no reason to cut Jimmy’s coming out scene it’s not for time the scenes like a minute long and it adds so much meaning and nuance both to Jimmy’s character and his relationship with Donny/the rest of the band
This is very much personal to me and very biased but Nick and Wayne should’ve actually been gay it’d be easy you’d barely have to change anything like give me a quick kiss or an extra short scene outside their hotel room or something like that pleaseee
Also I understand why and it makes sense and like time restraints but I wish the show spent more time with all of the members of the Donny Nova Band not just Julia and Donny because they are such great characters with such unique experiences and perspectives like I’d happily sit down to a 3 hour show for it
I wish we got to see more of give me a solo from Jimmy about seeing the injustices of the world and fearing for his future as a queer man give me a duet between Nick and Wayne about struggling to consolidate their neuroticisms and traumas in order to live together give me a solo/sequence about Johnny grappling with his chronic pain and cognitive issues give me a solo from Davy about trying to forget the things he’s seen and steadily drinking more and more
Ty very much! I love yapping about them.
