Valentine’s Day Playlist

ing throughout. The sets are mainly rear projections, but their implementation into the show never distracts and makes the scope feel so much grander. The cast is constantly swapping costumes throughout, and each of them is just as beautiful as the next.

With it being a musical, I’m happy to report that the songs and performances were also stellar from beginning to end. Veronica Stern and Willem Butler dazzled with their magnetic chemistry as Anya and Dmitry. Madeline Raube and Bryan Seastrom stole the show with their comedic supporting roles as Vlad and Lily. You also had some truly standout ensemble performances from Amin Fuson and Zoie Lee. For me, however, the true powerhouse in this cast was Christian McQueen as Gleb. Going in, I was familiar with Ramin Karimloo’s original performance on Broadway and worried that whoever would play the role wouldn’t reach the bar he set. Thankfully, my worries vanished the moment McQueen took the stage. On top of having a phenomenal stage presence, McQueen’s vo- cals truly conveyed both the fiery rage and buried sweetness the role requires. “The Neva Flows” and “Still” were easily my favorite numbers of the night, and I was thrilled to see them reprised in Act Two.

Some of the other standout numbers from the evening include the energized “Land of Yesterday,” Anya’s big Act One closer “Journey to the Past” and “Once Upon a December” and “Stay, I Pray You” were equally beautiful and haunting at the same time.

If I have to knock the musical points for anything, it would mainly be some weird tonal shifts toward the end of the first act. I also noticed the occasional awkward staging, but again this is mainly relegated to the show’s first act.

“Anastasia” was truly a wonderful time and reminded me why musical theater is such a wonderful thing, and I truly hope that more shows like it find their way to the Luhrs Performing Arts Center soon.

My Comfort Show: ‘Jane the Virgin’

Valentine’s Day is right around the corner, and in this household, that means doing skincare, eating chocolate and watching comfort shows. One of them happens to be “Jane the Virgin.”

This rom-com has been a favorite of mine for a few years now. The show premiered in 2014, and as usual with me, I started watching it in 2020 — six years later. I started watching it around the time the pandemic started, so it was one of the shows I binged during quarantine.

The twists and turns of the story captivated me. Though some twists were easy to predict, others that were not. The emotion in this show also spoke to me and moved me to tears; that’s not hard, as I’m a very emotional person.

I also enjoyed how this show spoke out on certain issues, such as immigration, LGBTQIA+ rights, etc. It was — and still is — nice to see that real-world issues are discussed in TV shows and advocated for. There is also representation of many groups of people. One of these representations is that one main character, Petra Solano, is bisexual. This was amazing for me, as someone who is also bisexual and had not seen a lot of this representation in media.

One of the main points of internal conflict is the topic of virginity and how purity has been so deeply woven into it. Jane Villanueva, one of the main characters of the show, was told at a young age by her abuela that once she has crumpled her flower — the symbol of virginity in the series — it will never be the same again. This message has presented as a significant internal struggle for Jane; however, in later episodes, this struggle is conquered. The series drives home the message of disconnecting purity from virginity, which I’m sure is important to many people who have had similar struggles.

“Jane the Virgin” also shed light on not only the joys of motherhood, but the struggles as well. These hardships were not sugarcoated and were shown realistically. For example, Mateo, Jane’s son, was diagnosed with ADHD. The show demonstrates the emotions and struggles that not only Jane and Rafael, Mateo’s father, felt and went through, but Mateo as well. It was relieving to see ADHD depicted realistically and not stereotypically.

Overall, this series has been and will continue to be one of my favorite comfort shows of all time. Though I only covered a few parts that I enjoyed about it, there are numerous other aspects that I loved. I highly recommend it to anyone who loves rom-coms and has not watched it yet. It is most certainly a great Valentine’s Day watch.

6 Love Songs to Add to Your

Valentine’s Day Playlist

Bailey Cassada Staff Contributor

1. “Valentine” by Laufey — Do you remember when you had your first valentine? Laufey is on cloud nine in this tune, singing, “‘Cause I think I’ve fallen in love this time / I blinked and suddenly I had a Valentine.” Her smooth, jazzy vocals make this a perfect love song to play for anyone you’re head over heels about!

2. “Rollercoaster” by Sundial — This adorable pop duo wrote “rollercoaster” about how their relationship helped them overcome personal fears. While they may both still have some fears and insecurities, they know that being with their best friend and lover will never be scary.

3. “You” by A Great Big World — Grab your tissues for this ballad. Lead singer Ian Axel wrote this song about marrying his wife and the birth of their child. If you want a song that will melt your heart, this is a great addition to your love song playlist.

4. “Photograph” by Cody Fry — Do you ever wish you could freeze time? Cody Fry’s “Photograph” is one of my favorite love songs. He sings about wanting to live in a beautiful moment forever with his lover. He sings, “Wait for me until I find some magic film / To take a photograph and live inside.” Fry’s lyricism and orchestral arrangement adds a beautiful cinematic touch to this charming love song.

5. “Second Guessing” by Florida Georgia Line — If country music is more your style, you will love this underrated Florida Georgia Line love song. Don’t be fooled by the title…the lyrics speak for themselves! “And spent all of my life askin’ questions / Now I don’t spend one second guessing.” This is such a creative twist on the phrase.

6. “this is what falling in love feels like” by JVKE — Up-and-coming artist JVKE has been going viral on TikTok with his song “Golden Hour” and this song. The song feels exactly how it sounds…like being in love! The instrumentals are bouncy and filled with joy, and his lyrics are like a cute conversation with his lover.