Falsettos #3: It's karate, kid. The musical

 

I don’t even know how to write the introduction for this song. I feel like it needs a big round of applause before I even start writing about it. A standing ovation or a grandiose entrance for these fascinating characters. You can’t ask for a better “relationship song”. “The Thrill of first love” captures every emotion in a fun, conflicted way. So, let’s get to it.  

The song starts with a quick, small fight where we can sense the specific dynamic of this relationship. As Marvin sees his boyfriend’s demands as futile “Whizzer begs”, Whizzer thinks he is much more refined than him “Whizzer knows”. As we see throughout the scene, they use each other’s words in defence of their own opinions and rephrase what the other said just to make him angry. Their first argument is about how long they have been together. As Marvin puts his hands possessively on his friend’s chest, he clearly states that they have been together for ten months. More time means a greater commitment, an easier transition from his failed marriage to a ‘real’ relationship. Of course, Whizzer repeatedly says that there’s only nine months, a shorter period of time implying a less convincing and permanent relationship between them. This way, it’s easier not to feel trapped as commitment is a challenge, in fact, for both of them. We sense from the beginning Marvin’s desire for control and constant win. He is a man who cares a lot about what other people think and ignores his loved ones’ demands. He is correcting Whizzer every time and, in the end, he smirks at the audience and shakes his head reassuring them it’s been “Ten Months”. He also says that they are “the salt of the bourgeoisie”. This can be a derivative from “Salt of the Earth” and this means that basically, Marvin says that he and Whizzer are the only middle-class people who are honest and true with themselves. You are THE HUMAN EMBODIMENT OF CONFLICT, Marvin. But in their defence... conflict, and perfection at the same time. He still wants to assume the role of the ‘man’ in the relationship as he wants to show the stereotypical masculine traits such as strength, courage, leadership, and assertiveness. I did a bit of research and I stumbled upon the word ‘Machismo’ which is translated as the sense of being 'manly' and self-reliant and also, disregarding consequences and responsibilities. I believe, in some ways, this doesn’t describe Marvin per se. It’s more about what he wants to be and how he wants people to see him, rather than his actual behaviour.   

The next iconic fight is the “And we're proud to say we love it how we Don't/ Won't agree” scene. Of course, Marvin sees their fights as something quite childish that would probably end after a while. He is sure that they will come to an agreement and more exactly, Whizzer will surrender. On the other side, we see Whizzer who sees their arguments as rather an act of passion that keeps their relationship alive. As Marvin has the final word, again, dismissing his boyfriend harshly, he turns to the audience and smiles cheerfully while singing “agree”. Even Whizzer knows how much he wants to blend in and have a ‘normal’ relationship as he says that “Everything he owns is vile;  Marvin doesn't care a whit”. He admits that his lover doesn’t share his “Devotion to style”. (And as I wrote this, I realised I can hear that lyric every time I read it.) Marvin is clearly not his usual ’type' and they both realise how unlikely their relationship is. They see it as a game with no rules, a risk they both took and don’t know how to play it. They like to mess with each other's patience and they quite enjoy it.   

The next part is purely focused on petty insults that hide actual problems. Marvin is careless and doesn’t take his boyfriend seriously. He combines two opposite phrases “unlimited knowledge of dreck” just to emphasize how he wastes his time on unimportant things and how he despises him for this choice. Whizzer is clearly craving attention and affection but Marvin treats his demands with sarcasm, wanting to let people know materialistic their relationship is. ” Mention is made. Attention is paid... in full”. Along with “I was rich, He was horny”, this lyric highlights how Marvin wants people to believe that he is the only one truly committed. He makes it sound like an exchange, “I’ll send you flowers if you sleep with me”. On the other hand, Whizzer doesn’t really mind being the ‘sleeping around type’. He hides behind this stereotype and he is afraid to actually show Marvin how he cares about him. After he unties his tie, he leans for a kiss, and right before “close your eyes Whizzer” we can see him trying to take Marvin’s hand. All these small gestures hint how he is afraid of showing his not so insensitive side and how he hopes Marvin will do this for him. Unfortunately, Marvin doesn’t know how to handle that and dismisses his lover, resuming his actions to horny and childish. He tells Whizzer to better “close his eyes” and ignore all his flaws.  

Whizzer speaks the truth in “Passion dies” where he realises, they’re together only because of the fire between them. They are totally different people and if one of them decides to do something, the other will do the exact opposite thing. It’s a reflex as we can see from their quick gestures in “When he pushes, I pull” and “Close your eyes Whizzer; Passion dies”. I also believe that with the lyric “Passion dies”, they actually realise that after all this game will end, love will be the only thing that should be remaining. But they’re still stuck in the ‘honeymoon period’ and they know they’ll do anything to keep it this way. It’s truly amazing how Christian Borle and Andrew Rannells capture their dynamic. Yes, they fight. Quite a lot actually. But they somehow never seem to step on the boundaries. They keep the game going until the end. It’s probably because of their amazing chemistry and the fact that they are so fricking talented. I’ll always admire their fantastic performances and the beautiful story they told. Ok... going on.  

Marvin doesn’t let Whizzer go and this is the moment when the fights become more personal. It isn’t about fashion anymore. Marvin is possessive, Whizzer sleeps around, and neither commits. Whizzer treats everything much more lightly. He doesn’t want to hurt Marvin when he tells him to not “be a fool”, but at the same time, he doesn’t lie to him or himself. He is in fact arranging Marvin’s coat while he ‘rejects’ his love and this means he does care. He just doesn’t know if he’s ready for a greater commitment. He is used to living the moment and not thinking about what comes after. This sparks conflict between him and Marvin who “wants it all” and he’s sure he’ll have it all. He knows better than Whizzer and he’s always confident that he’ll win every argument. 

 Note: As we all know, Whizzer was trained in karate, just like Andrew Rannels. (If you don’t know what I’m talking about... you shouldn’t. But just watch this Andrew Rannells interview and then you’ll also understand the title of the essay=))  

Whizzer pushes Marvin on the...couch? And they reverse roles. Marvin is now ‘inferior’ and we see how Whizzer softly massages his shoulders as the fight returns to the initial petty subject. They finally end up on a positive note “we almost survived a year". Also, I want to highlight the way they accentuate “sin” in "sincere". I just think it’s a small detail that fits the characters really well. Whizzer is constantly getting Marvin’s hand off his knee just to take his arm in a side hug. They briefly kiss but as soon as Whizzer stands up after “That’s it”, Marvin pulls him closer and that’s how the 24-second play-fight begins. They reverse roles over and over again and it’s a constant change between who is standing up and who is sitting.   

They both enjoy the moment and admit that they would do anything for that sense of “First love”, a feeling they want to keep alive for as long as possible. In the end, it’s not about the thrill of first love anymore. It’s only "love". They’ll do anything for love.  

And that’s everything about this song. Of course, I want to mention how they absolutely killed these performances and how grateful I am for this ProShot. I hope you enjoyed reading my essay, and if you did, share it with your friends and on your social media. And if you want to work with me on these essays don’t hesitate to email me at lavieboheme126@gmail.com. Take care of yourselves. 

Byeee