Beth Winter

I can't even blame Simon Ammann, because I've always had a weakness for him ever since he pulled the same bloody stunt in 2002 coming out of nowhere for the gold ♥ No matter, because Adam did a 2002 repeat as well, only much more impressive because he's not at the top of his game this time. And they're both 8 years older, but you can't tell by the way they bounced off for their medals.

Here, have a fabulous cover of We Are the Champions by a Yakutsyan folk band. (Honestly, watch this - the lady singer in particular has a voice to match her imperial costume. She'd be a shoo-in for a Siberian production of Rebecca.)



(And mostly for my own reference: men's figure skating on the 17th and 19th, women's on 24th and 26th, sport pairs 15th and 16th, dancing 20-22-23.)

I kind of don't believe my eyes, but apparently the new production of Presgurvic's Romeo et Juliette? Japan, Umeda Arts Theatre, Takarazuka Star Troupe. Directed by Koike Shuuichirou, the guy who did all Takarazuka Elisabeths, Legend, Scarlet Pimpernel... take your pick.

I am, in order of importance:

- aflail at not seeing it live
- overjoyed by the fact it'll be Out On DVD and I will be able to acquire it
- cast speculating :D

What Hoshigumi excels at, lately, is drama and fighting. And here we have power ballads galore, several duels, battles on stage, more death than you can shake a stick at...

The cast falls into place. Chie will be Romeo and Nene, Juliette, of course. Kumichou as the Prince making everyone fall in line and opening the show. Tybalt - this has got to be Toyoko, she's so brilliant at being evil. Unless they make it Teru (no slouch at evil-ness), with Toyoko as the Prince - giving Toyoko the extra Prince's songs which often get dropped - which would let Tomomin and Beni be Mercutio and Benvolio. I may be stuck on the Hungarian version, with Kerényi Miklós Máté's Benvolio bouncing all over the place, but Beni would make the sweetest, bounciest Benvolio ever. In which case Kumichou could be the Nurse and break my brain completely if Tomomin!Mercutio hits on her ♥

I'd love it if they keep the French version's ballet-dancer Death. (In Takarazuka terms, think Itsumine Aki in Brothers Karamazov. If they get Itsumine Aki to do it, it would be extra-brilliant.) She might get dropped for the same reason Hungary dropped her - it kind of makes people remember Romeo got molested by Death already last month as Rudolf...

But oh, it's another musical with a metric tonne of roles, with great music and great drama, allowing everyone to show off at their best. What demon did Hoshigumi make a pact with, anyway?

(And for the Takarazuka fans: look up either Les Rois du Monde or Lehetsz Király or Verone/Verona on Youtube, any concert/videoclip/promo version. Especially the latter. These songs are energy personified.)

-crossposted because hey! fandom worlds intertwining!

Originally posted at Dreamwidth - comments

Finally - video from Tanz der Vampire, Oberhausen

And a certain Jan Ammann almost landing in the orchestra pit again, natch ♥ Not to mention that the last cloak swirl is very familiar. Git's been teaching him ;)

This was surprisingly difficult - I really don't watch much TV. I don't have time in my life for more than one, maybe two series at a time, and I do 90% of my watching online.

( Mostly about TV series )

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http://community.livejournal.com/help_haiti/ for a fandom charity auction.

Personally, I'm becoming increasingly frustrated at the inability of Medecins Sans Frontières to take donations online from Poland. If I don't find a way to do it, it'll be the Polish Humanitarian Action. (And kudos to our award-winning rescuers and their canine friends, who are on a plane to Haiti just now.)

I'm still alive, despite the best attempts of certain microorganisms. Weather's being utterly gorgeous, with white fresh snow everywhere ♥

Also, I started a dedicated Takarazuka journal, to free y'all from having to see babble about daily updates and gossip and random Youtube videos. I can now squee schoolgirl-style here:

yukinojou (DreamWidth)

And here's its LiveJournal feed to add to Friends pages if you really want to see the babble.

Thus far I've posted my long delayed Epiphany review and Battlefield for the Two of Us squee that would be a review if I only knew what was going on in the show ^^; I don't suppose anyone has seen the latter and can clue me in to what Ichiro and Tom were angsting so beautifully about?

Sliding in under the wire on the yuletide rec train, just before the reveal :) Like before, Yuletide was a trip and a half this year. I was in a worse emotional state, but I managed, and I'll post about my stories after the reveal.

This year, I was exceedingly lucky - I got so many stories and treats!

Takarazuka RPF, Yami ga Hirogaru - Kacha and Asako during Elisabeth rehearsals, with Kacha catching a glimpse of the loneliness that Asako forged into her role. This is 100% my take on them, from which I conclude that my Santa is psychic. My Nanowrimo (which fell by the wayside because of the aforementioned events) had these two as main characters, and I could paste this scene into it with just changing character names ♥ Thank you for the telepathy, m'dear!

Takarazuka RPF, Father's Day with the Hapsburgs: A bonus story from my Santa - backstage hijinks and Kiriyan! Kiriyan being her wonderful self.

Babylon 5, The works of creation: Susan Ivanova in her youth, a series of snapshots of her growing up, and growing tougher and more beautiful.

Elisabeth, Do Not Be Afraid: I remain in love with this story. It's Death taking Little Sophie, who's such a Character in this one. And Death is kind, for a moment. ♥

Cinderella, PSA: And to finish it off, tiny Daily Mail article about the dangers of fairytales :D

Other recommendations:

Night Watch, Never be lost: This is exactly the story I asked for last year, Kay after the events of the book, and Kay being happy.

Tanz der Vampire, First Step: How Alfred falls into his story. Be sure to read the ending!

Elisabeth, Guiding Light: Rudolf and Death throughout Rudolf's life. The best parental take on it.

Arthurian Legend, The other way: Mordred and Galahad and making far too much sense ♥ I started writing a story for the same prompt, but couldn't finish in time - it might be a New Year's story....

Vorkosigan saga: The Rules of Barrayaran Sex: Perfectly in-character and exceedingly amusing. Cordelia is always love, and so is Aral and his socks.

Vorkosigan saga: Sworn in Silence: Aral's view of the moments just after his mother's and brother's deaths, a breathless chase and plot and a very poignant view of Piotr Vorkosigan.

 Sandman: Ink Space Lucien's view of the new Dream. It's just a little heartwrenching, and full of a quiet love.

Sandman, Recoil and Grace - an AU ending for Lucifer and Morpheus that makes far more sense than it should.

Discworld, A place called home - The rarest thing, a Discworld fic that does justice to the world and the characters, and a perfect Drumknott (and Vetinari) study.

Discworld, Wizard Muddle:  What happens in UU when Ponder goes on a vacation.

The Cable and Deadpool Yuletide Special: Epic. Just Epic. Read. Even if you have no idea who Cable and Deadpool are, because Deadpool is King of Backstory, thankyouverymuch

The AO3 comment system doesn't like Opera Mini, or maybe it's just the thousands of people reading the archive now?

I can't copy links on my mobile, but if you search for stories for "Beth Winter (bethwinter)", you'll find two sweet Takarazuka vignettes, one sad and one sweet in perfect harmony. (Asako, Kacha and bonus Kiriyan as a lovely surprise.) I think I know who wrote these - thank you so much!

I also got a Susan Ivanova character study just as bittersweet as the canon, and two more Yuletide Madness treats that I can't see yet, curses. I can't wait to get back to my computer :)

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Git in my icon = still a git. Still making me cry with Gethsemane. Still the Best Herbert And Phantom Ever.

dunkle_feuer, slashydutchie - he had Phantom photos from the Benefiz-Gala in his slideshow while he sang Phantom :D Of course, that came after the slideshow of baby photos during I am what I am, so I may have been slightly horizontal.

And there may be mp3 spam at some point, because his Bring Him Home defies gravity, and his The Song That Goes Like This keeps getting better and better.

It's now been a round four years (and three days) since the first time I was at a concert of his, barely knowing the name of this scraggly eighteen-year-old boy who got a part that should be a bit part and stole the show. Within the next four years, I fully expect to be in a West End theatre listening to him do at least Raoul, and quite probably understudy Phantom.