Welcome to Broadway’s Finest “Foe-lies”: a tribute to some of the best villain songs from the world of musical theatre! (No Disney songs allowed; already did two lists for those.) All throughout October, I’m ranking up my Top 31 Favorite Villain Songs from Broadway, the West End, and Beyond!
TODAY’S LYRICAL HINT: “There was a dream, a dying ember; there was a dream I don’t remember…”
NUMBER 26 IS: Falcon in the Dive, from The Scarlet Pimpernel: The Musical.
If you looked at the Honorable Mentions for this Event, then you’ll definitely remember our old pal Frank Wildhorn. He appeared several times there, and will appear several times more throughout this countdown. For the uninitiated, or those who just wanted more detail than I gave back then: Wildhorn is a major figure in the musical theatre circuit, but one with a sort of…unusual reputation. On the one hand, he’s one of the few composers who’s had multiple shows running on Broadway all at the same time. On the other hand, the actual clout these musicals hold seem to be…iffy, to say the least. Most of his shows have been panned by critics and weren’t big hits with audiences when they came out; however, at the same time, a lot of his shows HAVE formed small but very loyal niche followings, and it’s not unusual to find at least one song from a Wildhorn-based musical in someone’s audition book of sheet music. The main problems he seems to face are always the same: he takes a popular point in history or work of literature, adapts it into a musical, has a few great songs in it, and then the script and the rest of the songs seem to just be head-scratchers. And, much like with Starlight Express, these shows are very, VERY commonly messed with over time, sometimes to the point where they don’t even resemble how they started, aside from most of the songs being the same, or at least having the same titles.
I guess you could say he’s a “cult classic composer,” and…in some ways I’m part of that “cult,” and in other ways I’m not. I think a lot of his musicals have great ideas, fun moments, great performers in their history banks, and a number of good songs…but something always seems to hold them back from being truly spectacular, with only a couple of exceptions. Sometimes it’s the pacing, sometimes it’s the lyrics, sometimes it’s the story itself…it’s like they consistently ALMOST work, but only very rarely TRULY work.
Case in point: Wildhorn’s musical adaptation of the famous French novel, “The Scarlet Pimpernel.” This story - which tells the tale of a fop-by-day, vigilante-by-night Robin-Hood-esque figure of the same title, during the days of the French Revolution - is widely regarded as one of the grandaddies of modern superhero fiction. The musical sort of leans into that idea, with the show sort of feeling like a semi-comedic superhero adventure that just so happens to be set in the French Revolution. The result is a tonally scattershot musical with an occasionally rushed story that can’t decide how “camp” it really wants to be.
Between this, the previous pick, and that failed Superman musical from back in the 70s (yes, that was a thing), I’m beginning to think the only time superheroes should ever go anywhere near the stage is when they’re handled by StarKid…but I digress.
Naturally, no superhero or superhero-surrogate is complete without their resident supervillain. The primary antagonist of the tale is one Citizen Chauvelin: in the original book, Chauvelin is a relatively straightforward villain. A scheming, conniving, treacherous a-hole with very few redeeming qualities. He’s the representation of pure evil in the story: a slimy scoundrel who uses his connections to power to get what he wants at all costs, and will stop at nothing to defeat those who defy him. In the musical, things are slightly different: Chauvelin is given a very, VERY slightly more sympathetic edge in the story, and that sympathy is largely expressed through his big villain song, “Falcon in the Dive.”
During this song, Chauvelin - under direct orders from Robespierre, the master of the Revolution - is sent out to hunt down the Scarlet Pimpernel, once and for all. By now, Chauvelin has already been embarrassed and humiliated by the dashing outlaw a few times, and he’s growing increasingly desperate to capture the man. The song flip-flops between zealous determination and a sort of anxious uncertainty: on the one hand, Chauvelin does not consider himself to be an evil man. He sees himself simply as someone trying to bring order to France, and give the people the republic they’ve always desired. However, just as the methods of Revolution have become increasingly more violent and treacherous, so too has Chauvelin, to the point where he no longer even REALLY knows what he’s fighting for anymore. He just knows he has to KEEP fighting, regardless, because failing his superiors means he could be next to have his head taken by the waiting embrace of “Madame Guillotine.”
In other words, Citizen Chauvelin has come to accept a “survival of the fittest” mentality of the worst kind: he will do what it takes to keep himself from being a victim, and if that means he HAS to be a villain, he will be. I genuinely love bad guys who, rightly or wrongly, seem to believe they HAVE to be bad guys: like it’s the only choice they have left in their cruel world. Chauvelin’s Falcon in the Dive paints him as exactly such a sort, and it’s part of why this tune is one of my favorites in this admittedly somewhat flawed musical.
Tomorrow, the countdown continues with Number 25!
LYRICAL HINT: “I’m on the bench, but - COACH! - just put me in the game!”
This moment - Powerful. Pivotal. Romantic. I’ve said before that I believe Rick and Michonne more fully fell in love with each other by the end of season 4. And to me, how they interact with each other throughout season 5 just further confirmed my theory, especially in this stunning episode 'What Happened And What's Going On.' And part of what's going on is Rick and Michonne falling for each other even more as they make a big game-changing decision rooted in the love and trust they've developed. I love that this is where Rick shows he would truly go the distance for Michonne...
(Sidenote: Now this scene ranking might be my most controversially-placed one because I know this is a very beloved classic Richonne scene that would understandably make a lot of ppl's Top 10s and even Top 5s. It’s a super significant moment between Rick and Michonne and I love it, I promise. Richonne's journey is just that abundant with top-10 worthy moments so I had to make some sacrifices on my list because I adore every second of every moment they’re on screen.😅)
So I already just love the way Rick and Michonne are color-coordinated in their brown outfits. So much of season 5 really established how R&M are a pair and each other's match.
And in this ep, Rick touches her, I believe, for the first time since she told him never to touch her again in s3., showing their growth and the strengthening of those magnets.
Something I appreciate about the Richonne 5B scenes that occur before they arrive at ASZ is that they really did an effective job of confirming the depth of their bond. During this period, we consistently see just how much Rick and Michonne's attraction to each other is more than skin-deep because they've built a genuine love and trust with each other.
They cement their partnership in so many ways during this time of searching for a home, and it's important to see this depicted before they enter ASZ because it lets you know that while there will be situations that could potentially cause a divide between them at Alexandria, it's 5B scenes like this Washington one that tell you Rick and Michonne's bond was too strong, too battle-tested, and too important to them for anything in ASZ to break it.
It’s also very clear throughout this season 5 mid-season premiere how much Michonne’s well-being is on Rick’s radar and really matters to him, and it becomes extra clear in this #26 scene here.
Michonne is making her case for why this place could maybe still work as a home, only to find that the community clearly was brutally attacked as severed body parts lay scattered around. Michonne is quietly disappointed as she walks and observes, and Rick’s attention immediately shifts to her as he follows behind her. It’s one of the clearest cases of their damn-near literal magnetic connection. 🧲
She doesn’t leave his sight. Even when Glenn says, "it doesn’t matter," Rick stays staring at Michonne. I love that their “you're okay, I'm okay” interconnectedness is so visible. Michonne isn’t okay, and that so clearly doesn’t sit well with Rick, so she’s top of mind for him in this scene.
Glenn starts speaking, and Rick peels himself away from looking at Michonne to hear Glenn share a very bleak perspective on how it wouldn’t matter who killed Dawn. Michonne turns around and pitches that they go to Washington. At the end of this season, a very special scene will have Rick admitting the way Michonne can influence his decisions, and this moment in 5.09 is an example of that.
Michonne turns to Rick and tells him they're close, and it's 100 miles away - and one thing I love about this point in their relationship is that she and Rick have established enough trust with each other that Michonne can be vulnerable enough to really show some raw emotion here and speak her mind.
Rick listens as Michonne questions what if there are people there and what if it’s a chance to be safe. “It’s a possibility. It’s a chance” This is the season of Michonne really wanting tf to find a home and I know so much of that would be rooted in the fact that she was one of the few who knows what it’s like to extensively wander out in the woods and go a bit mad. She doesn’t want that for her and her new family.
Michonne gets more emotional but still with such poise as she suggests going to Washington is better than just being out there and just making it since making it looks like all those bodies sprawled on the ground. I love that she’s pouring her heart out to him. And what a great man that Rick is so ready to not take this lightly and to really hear her.
And we get another one of those long lingering looks from Rick as he stares right at her, listening. The arresting effect she always has on him is gold, and I appreciate that he lets her words seep in. Especially when Michonne asks, “Don’t you want one more day with with a chance?”
Danai again slays the vulnerable delivery of that line and it’s also deep for Michonne to pose this question hoping Rick also wants to live and not just survive. This is important for her to know too because her last man had given up on trying to have one more day with a chance and so it’s great she gets this confirmation that Rick is different and far more aligned with her.
(Also watching s1 back, in the finale, Dr. Jenner asks what they want, and Rick says, “A chance.” which just further indicates how he and Michonne are cut from the same cloth)
Then I love the romantic way this next part plays out cuz the walkers draw near, Rick says we should go, and Glenn and Michonne think he means we should leave the area. So Michonne turns away thinking her words fell on deaf ears, but then Rick reveals no I heard you and I will go where you lead, when he repeats her words and says, "It’s 100 miles away...We should go to Washington."
Hearing this gets both Glenn and Michonne to stop in their tracks and turn to look at Rick Cuz this isn’t a choice Rick would make this quickly for just anyone. And Michonne’s look of surprise is so touching. I was just looking at this moment thinking - that’s right girl, he’d do anything for you.😊
I’ve always felt like in this scene Glenn is an adorable third wheel to the Richonne bubble because Rick is completely facing and staring at Michonne solely when he says this. It just makes it clear that he is declaring this because of her. Like of course he wants to secure a home for his whole family, but in this moment what's especially evident is Rick wants to give a home to Michonne.
So Rick makes this big decision for the group fully based on what Michonne thinks is best and once again it really was giving romantic when he looked right at her and said, "We should go to Washington."
And then Michonne's subtle smile...that’s an “I love this man” reaction, y’all. Better yet, she's looking at Rick like...
I appreciate how Rick and Michonne’s love for each other makes them do things differently, because while in the past it was said by Lori that Rick would never just go somewhere on a hunch, here he’s showing that he would go somewhere and bring all of tf with him if Michonne’s instincts say it’s a good move.
I love that here Rick can’t help but be so focused and in tune with her and Michonne can’t help but look at him with so much love. Again she gets confirmation Rick is different from her past and cut from the same cloth as her. The way Rick looks at her and looks away, I really feel like it’s a brief moment of him knowing that he so swiftly agreed to this for and because of her because he loves her. Whipped in the best healthiest way.
It's also great watching scenes like these back and knowing Rick is looking at the woman who he will go onto happily make his wife, and Michonne is looking at the man she will fully embrace as her husband. 🥰
All of Rick and Michonne's s5 scenes suggest that they had fallen for each other and were becoming more and more aware of how special and influential they were in each other's lives. And this moment was a beautiful illustration of what Richonne means to each other and what they’ll do for each other. Scenes like these - weighty, quiet, but full of love, just solidify that this is a beautiful love story for the ages. 😌
I Wanna Know - Where Would This Scene Land On Your Top 30 Richonne List?
Okay, so I think everyone knows by now that AI “art” bots just steal shit like 90% of the time, and that people who us them as the end product (who aren’t shitposters) are morons.
So about a month ago, I wanted to ask Midjourney something that literally any kid who knows how to write could do -- the number “26″ on a white background.
I had to use quotes because otherwise it would not have known what to do. Now, have a look at the four responses there, and keep in mind this is after quite a bit of refining. But, um... I can only *vaguely* see the number 26 there. All of the 2s have some extra shit on top, there’s a solid black horizontal line there for no reason, and the 6 looks more like an 8 with part of it missing.
Keep in mind this is after some refining.
However, it was enough for me to use it as an initial sketch --- sort of. If I take the upper tail of the 2 on the top right image and apply it to the one on the bottom right, and redraw it so it makes sense...
...and that’s where the numbers in red came from. What’s in red I actually did myself. I only really like the 2 and the 7 (number 27 is special to me so maybe it’s not a surprise I’d try and make that work first...), the 6 and the 9 I’m not as attached to. There’s a top part of a 6 in the top right panel I might recreate. Might not. Don’t know.
For whatever reason, the number 34 seemed to be the kryptonite to most of these bots, except Dalle-2 -- it understood 34, but 53? Nope!
