S01.E10: Opening Night

[formerlyfreedom]

SEASON FINALE!

During opening night of "Spring Awakening" personal crises and dilemmas percolate in the wings backstage as Simon struggles to overcome his biggest fear, Lilette withholds a huge development from Robbie, Robbie has a momentous breakthrough, and Tracey draws a line in the sand. Over the course of one evening, decisions are made that will change Lou and Stanton Drama forever.

 

[Diana Berry]

Leave  it to Lou and his ego to shut the whole program down.  Sigh

[memememe76]

The show was severely flawed, no doubt, but man, I wished they got a second season. I have to say I cried a bit by the end. Seeing the dad's empty chair. Seeing Mashous gone. 

I still have no idea what Spring Awakening is about. And the best song was the pop song at the end and during the montage. 

[HelenCrump]

I have watched every episode with a great deal of ambivalence -- loved the drama club storyline and the wonderful teen actors, not so wild about Lou.  But tonight's finale was surprisingly moving to me.  I'm sorry the show won't be continuing on in fall.

[Snow Apple]

The show was beautiful. Love the set with the lights at they end. I wonder why they didn't sing Purple Summer though.

Are we suppose to think that guy is Lilitte's dad? Too bad this got cancelled. It really improved throughout the series.

[tennisgurl]

I have to say, I found this finale very moving, and it made me very sorry that there wont be more. This show wasn't one that I really loved, mainly because of all the focus on Lou, but this was a really good episode, and it made me want to see what happens next. What especially got me was the younger daughter of Lou tearfully finding the empty lighting box with Mashous Was Here on the wall. I wish we were going to find out what happened to him. 

This show improved a lot as the season went on, and it sucks that it never really found its audience. That last sequence really got me.

Edited May 16, 2018 by tennisgurl

[Free]

18 minutes ago, Diana Berry said:

Leave  it to Lou and his ego to shut the whole program down.  Sigh

His vision caused a lot more trouble than not, so it unfortunately seemed fitting between the pushbacks and the censorships in the last episode.

[suebee12]

First off, when I saw the previews for the show during the Olympics, I thought it was supposed to be one time thing...start and finish this season but as they went along, it became apparent that this maybe wasn't true. If you look at the finale, they really did a great job. It was an ending to the story BUT if it had been renewed, they had loads of things to start with in the second season. They could have fought for the drama club to be reinstated, they could follow the Lilitte move to Philly (or not) and was the guy her father, what happens to the ALS mother, and Simon's family, does coach go back to his family, does Mashous make it with his mother or does he somehow move back, and so on and on. I guess we have to use the Gone With the Wind way....does Scarlett get Rhett back or not  is how we want it to be.....The End!

[itsjustme]

3 hours ago, Snow Apple said:

The show was beautiful. Love the set with the lights at they end. I wonder why they didn't sing Purple Summer though.

Are we suppose to think that guy is Lilitte's dad? Too bad this got cancelled. It really improved throughout the series.

Probably for time and becasue they had Duncan Sheik and Steven Sater the writers for SA compose a new song for the show.

[madhacker]

Am I the only one who was hoping that the light rigging would fall on the dick principals when they were telling Lou they were scrapping the whole drama dept? Or that Lou would just get a "fuck it" look on his face and punch out the black vice principal? I'm not racist in any way (gay guy here) but that asshole totally deserved it (the actor who played him was great though)

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Ugh, Lou still sucks. Lou's "let me apologize so we can move on" attitude exemplifies his attitude, which is "let me say or do whatever I want and then I'll just say I'm sorry and things will go back to normal!"

The principal also sucks, not just for asking for MORE last minute changes an hour before opening night, but for being that rude guy who keeps getting up from his seat during the show. Once you leave your seat, you need to stay in the lobby until intermission. I don't care why you got up from your seat - explosive diarrhea, an emergency phone call, whatever - but it's REALLY FUCKING RUDE to everyone sitting behind you to have you stand up and scooch out in the middle of the show.

Also rude: Coach Strickland walking up the aisle to hand flowers to Gwen during the curtain call. Unless you are the orchestra conductor who has been assigned the task of handing a bouquet of flowers to the star of the show (or the person on the stage crew who was given the task of handing flowers to the cast during curtain call), you don't get to do that. Just think what a long and messy endeavor curtain call would be if every fucking parent decided they had to hand their kids flowers during curtain call. Sorry, dude. I don't care if you're the football coach and your daughter's mad at you for having an affair. You still have to wait until later to hand your kid flowers.

I was afraid that when Vanessa went to get the card she left in the car that her new boyfriend was going to hit on Lilette, so I guess yay that he really believes in Vanessa?

I remember thinking that one of the more ridiculous changes requested by the PTA was lengthening Lilette's dress. That was just reinforced by Gwen's mom ripping off the part she had added and seeing the original length again. GOD FORBID WE SEE A TEENAGE GIRL'S KNEES! I mean, seriously, the hem was about an inch above the BOTTOM of her knees when she knelt down on the stage. But the PTA didn't object to Gwen's skirt which was about two inches lower than her butt?

When Tracey showed up in the lighting booth, I was yelling, "LOCK THE DOOR! BARRICADE THE DOOR!" If no one can get upstairs to the booth, the lights and sound can't be turned off and the show can go on! And then a few minutes later, the principal showed up in the lighting booth and said to shut everything off, reinforcing my belief that they should have locked the door!

My favorite part of this episode (and this entire show) was finally getting to see the show performed with lights and costumes! Auli'i Cravalho was the standout because she has such a beautiful voice.

[marieYOTZ]

I will give it to them, I got misty eyed at a couple different points. It was a satisfying end to an uneven show - but any show with a musical theater element is worthwhile in my book! Now to wait a few years for the next short-lived attempt.

[Empress1]

It's a shame that the show was cancelled - there was a lot more to explore. I don't believe that the guy who hired Vanessa just did it out of the goodness of his heart (I got the impression he and Vanessa were a couple now - Vanessa doesn't seem like the type to stay single long), and I also wouldn't have forgiven Vanessa that easily for ditching me for days, but I guess Lilette is used to it.

There was a lot more to explore: Michael and ... the pregnant one's (I forgot her name that quickly) burgeoning romance, Simon's father's reaction to that kiss and, presumably, his son's sexuality, Maashous's fate, Robbie's mom ... 

Lilette and Robbie are SO CUTE. 

[Maximum Taco]

That's a shame it was cancelled, but you really can't be hitting your stride in the last episodes. 

Gotta strike gold at around episode 3 to have a chance nowadays. 

[Phebemarie]

I think this is the first time there's been something like humor in an episode with the scenes between the prop master and Tracey.  Although an unfair depiction of prop masters, who are generally efficient and ahead of the game, those light-hearted moments had a tone that the show really needed.  

[Lovecat]

11 hours ago, memememe76 said:

The show was severely flawed, no doubt, but man, I wished they got a second season. I have to say I cried a bit by the end. Seeing the dad's empty chair. Seeing Mashous gone. 

I still have no idea what Spring Awakening is about. And the best song was the pop song at the end and during the montage. 

 

11 hours ago, HelenCrump said:

I have watched every episode with a great deal of ambivalence -- loved the drama club storyline and the wonderful teen actors, not so wild about Lou.  But tonight's finale was surprisingly moving to me.  I'm sorry the show won't be continuing on in fall.

 

11 hours ago, tennisgurl said:

I have to say, I found this finale very moving, and it made me very sorry that there wont be more. This show wasn't one that I really loved, mainly because of all the focus on Lou, but this was a really good episode, and it made me want to see what happens next. What especially got me was the younger daughter of Lou tearfully finding the empty lighting box with Mashous Was Here on the wall. I wish we were going to find out what happened to him. 

This show improved a lot as the season went on, and it sucks that it never really found its audience. That last sequence really got me.

 

 

3 hours ago, marieYOTZ said:

I will give it to them, I got misty eyed at a couple different points. It was a satisfying end to an uneven show - but any show with a musical theater element is worthwhile in my book! Now to wait a few years for the next short-lived attempt.

 

1 hour ago, Empress1 said:

It's a shame that the show was cancelled - there was a lot more to explore. [snip]. Michael and ... the pregnant one's (I forgot her name that quickly) burgeoning romance, Simon's father's reaction to that kiss and, presumably, his son's sexuality, Maashous's fate, Robbie's mom ... 

I'm glad I'm not the only one who had some raging allergy symptoms during this episode...  Like you all have said, this show isn't perfect, but the "kid" cast was excellent, and there is so much story left to tell.  I really am kind of sorry it's not coming back.

On a personal note, I got a big laugh out of "We'll always have Allentown..." because I live in Bethlehem, the town right next door.  [I gotta rep for my town though--there was no steel plant in Allentown, and Billy Joel wrote that damn song about us ;) ].  Fictional!Lou would be very comfortable here in the Lehigh Valley, because Bethlehem Steel's old blast furnace stacks (so similar to those featured in RISE that I was almost convinced they filmed B-roll here) have been turned into the background for a a cultural arts center [Steel Stacks], and the high school theatre scene is thriving, concluding in a couple of weeks with the Freddy awards, the Lehigh Valley's version of the Tonys for high school students.  This year Allentown's three high schools (including the Catholic high) did Side Show, Aida, and something called Disaster! which I have to admit I'm embarrassed to not have been familiar with prior to googling it, because the original production featured my Broadway boyfriend Adam Pascal.

Edited May 16, 2018 by Lovecat

[berwoman]

@Lovecat , I laughed too since I work in Center Valley and stay at the beautiful Hotel Bethlehem all the time...  love your little city!

[Newberry]

@LOVECAT - Easton native and former high school theater geek here. I was thinking the same things when they mentioned Allentown. High school theater thrives here in the Lehigh Valley, and I look forward to the Freddy's every year. So awesome to see these kids recognized for their hard work.

Am very sad to see this show end. It had many nice moments, and I never missed it, despite what some folks considered flaws. So many unanswered questions now, but if it had to end, it ended on a high note. My eyes watered quite a bit-I should really get to dusting...

[LittleIggy]

I too wish this show had been renewed. It had flaws but potential. 

I downright cried during the graveyard scene. I hope all those young actors go on to have really bright futures. ?

[CelticBlackCat]

20 hours ago, Free said:

His vision caused a lot more trouble than not, so it unfortunately seemed fitting between the pushbacks and the censorships in the last episode.

I don't believe Lou thought the entire Stanton High drama program was going to be shut down.  He figured he would be fired and he basically sacrificed his job for the sake of the students so they could fulfill their dreams of performing the show, as is.  Wait!  Am I defending Lou?  I guess I am.

 

It is the school admin's decision to scrap the whole program, not Lou's.  I know this is fiction, but it really angers me that another arts program bites the dust, and this time not only because of budget cuts, but of small-minded PTA members and school administrators.  I truly don't like that principal after all.

[CelticBlackCat]

I really enjoyed the Spring Awakening Opening Night performance.  I'm sad to see the show end here, as there are lots of stories that needed to be continued, and could have.

Someone in another episode thread thought Sasha and Michael might be a couple on the road to marriage and I thought not, but after this episode, I guess that poster could be right!  I was surprised Michael thinks Sasha should have an abortion though.  I would want to see Season 2 reveal that Sasha has her baby and she copes with the help of her father, at least.

So many unanswered questions.  I didn't even think that Vanessa's new boyfriend (who she obviously looked up when she was MIA) is really Lilette's father.

I like that Tracey put her anger at Lou and their differences aside and saved the show by locating the needed prop gun on the phone, and then showing up!

[Free]

50 minutes ago, CelticBlackCat said:

I don't believe Lou thought the entire Stanton High drama program was going to be shut down.  He figured he would be fired and he basically sacrificed his job for the sake of the students so they could fulfill their dreams of performing the show, as is.  Wait!  Am I defending Lou?  I guess I am.

 

It is the school admin's decision to scrap the whole program, not Lou's.  I know this is fiction, but it really angers me that another arts program bites the dust, and this time not only because of budget cuts, but of small-minded PTA members and school administrators.  I truly don't like that principal after all.

While it's not intentional at all, all the pushbacks were eventually leading to this, it was built up the entire season, well series.  Lou was repeatedly warned about it thoughout the season.

[CelticBlackCat]

20 minutes ago, Free said:

While it's not intentional at all, all the pushbacks were eventually leading to this, it was built up the entire season, well series.  Lou was repeatedly warned about it thoughout the season.

Lou didn't listen to anyone so Lou's reality was not if he screwed up the entire program would go.  Tracey was being manipulated by the principal toward the end to get rid of Lou that way, but Tracey was going to be the head of the department and it was going to go on.

[Free]

1 hour ago, CelticBlackCat said:

Lou didn't listen to anyone so Lou's reality was not if he screwed up the entire program would go.  Tracey was being manipulated by the principal toward the end to get rid of Lou that way, but Tracey was going to be the head of the department and it was going to go on.

In a way it got worse, the pushbacks and the budget problems were already present throughout the series, it was taken out on the entire drama club.

[J-Man]

"Rise" and the Stanton High Drama Dept.: Totally hosed.

[CelticBlackCat]

3 minutes ago, J-Man said:

"Rise" and the Stanton High Drama Dept.: Totally hosed.

Or Totally F*cked, depending on the version the show.

[Diana Berry]

Question.  Why did the leads during the song near the end use microphones?  It took me out of the moment somewhat.

I really enjoyed Rosie Perez in this show.  I wish she had been the lead instead of Lou.  She had an interesting back story with the adopted child.  She could have carried the show and have Lou as the second or not even part of the show.

yep, got misty eyed, too.

[Unraveled]

It was actually a pretty good series finale and fitting that TV Lou caused the whole theater department to shut down. The performances were lovely, and the actors are really wonderful singers.

Lilette's mom is really the worst. I can't believe she bailed on her daughter with no word for multiple days.

Any predictions on what would have happened in season two?

• After the theater department is shut down, they find some way to bring it back (fundraiser or magical donor?).
• Lilette's mom's job and move falls through because she somehow screws up again.
• So Maashous just left? Maybe there was a cut scene of him with his birth mother, but I think I must missed something.
• I'm really curious about Simon and the impending fallout with his dad. I think his mom will back her son up.

 

On 5/16/2018 at 10:00 AM, Lovecat said:

On a personal note, I got a big laugh out of "We'll always have Allentown..."

While obviously a nearby town in Pennsylvania, I assumed it was from "42nd Street."

[Lovecat]

50 minutes ago, Unraveled said:

While obviously a nearby town in Pennsylvania, I assumed it was from "42nd Street."

About a 5-6 hour drive from the greater Pittsburgh area, actually (I just did it a few weeks ago)...Pennsylvania’s a pretty wide state ;)

[CelticBlackCat]

I've been wondering if they shot two endings, depending on whether they got canceled or not.  Canceled series ending used is the one where drama dept. is shut down.  Happy ending version we'll never know.  I guess this means that Miss Wolfe's only other job at Stanton High is teaching sex ed.  Lou taught English, I think?

I wish they could start a new show with Rosie Perez as the lead and get the students after graduation to be in her college class or dance studio or something like that.

[OtterMommy]

9 hours ago, CelticBlackCat said:

I've been wondering if they shot two endings, depending on whether they got canceled or not.  Canceled series ending used is the one where drama dept. is shut down.  Happy ending version we'll never know.  I guess this means that Miss Wolfe's only other job at Stanton High is teaching sex ed.  Lou taught English, I think?

I wish they could start a new show with Rosie Perez as the lead and get the students after graduation to be in her college class or dance studio or something like that.

I doubt that they shot 2 endings, only because this was shot several months ago (before, I believe, the show even began to air). Also, it was expected that Rise would inherit the This Is Us audience, which didn't happen.  I have a feeling that no one was more shocked about this cancellation than NBC.

[sugarbaker design]

Very satisfying climax to an original show.  I can't remember an hour long drama with a total asshole as it's lead role, where the asshole continues to be an asshole and remains an asshole until the final episode.  That being said there were so many characters that I was emotionally invested in:  Mrs.  Mizzou, Mashus, Gwen, Gordie, QB, Lillette, Michael and of course, Simon!

On my first viewing I watched through tears, on my second viewing, there were, of course, so many little moments that I missed the first go-round.  In summary, my personal highlights: one cough or two, the empty seat between Simon's mother and sister, QB's mother's face, QB's dad standing ovation, Gwen accepting flowers from her dad, Mashus's new suit, Mashus's goodbye note, random PTA with tears streaming down her face, and of course, we'll always have Allentown.

I can't picture a second season topping this one, so in the tradition of TV dramas with only one season, I bestow upon Rise the My So-Called Life Achievement award.

[Jsage]

I did enjoy this episode more than most but Lou continued to be the worst ever. He welcomes families with children to see the show, then tells the cast to put the hitting scene back in, then goes and and covers his own daughter's eyes during the scene. What about all the other little girls and boys in the audience, Lou? Such hypocrisy! I just can't stand him.

[JasmineFlower]

I liked this ending for the show in large part. Really enjoyed the Spring Awakening performance all at once, although I was wishing we would see the classroom scene in full this time.

Again, unlike others, I have few problems with Lou here. Very happy he had enough with the changes, but put it to a vote among the students of which version they wanted to do.

I wasn't happy with the way Tracey bailed on the kids, she was called on what she actually did and didn't own any of it like it was completely inaccurate. Though I get that if she was there, she may have tried to block the switch back to the original play. But she redeemed herself with the impassioned plea to the principal, who seems to care the least about the kids in this whole thing, which is just sad to be the rooting for the kids even less than the superintendent, who was surprisingly positive about the production. But I'll be honest even knowing they were going to object at some point, I found the part that the principal and superintendent walked out on to be a strange breaking point.

I was uncomfortable with the sudden change to the friendship between Michael and Sasha. I'd have liked to see where that goes regardless of whether I was on board with the change.

Even though Coach leaves a lot to be desired, I was happy to see him finally be a parent who is in charge instead of just trying to win brownie points. Gwen can be as pissed as she wants about how everything went down, but acting like she tells him and her mom what the custody split would be was definitely a good moment for Coach to be a parent and I was happy he wasn't just trying to appease her yet again. She is holding on to this anger as tight as she can, time away from him won't make that better.

Lilette. Vanessa's the worst and we know this, though she's a sadly accurate portrayal of some parents. But I was pleasantly surprised that Ricardo (Carlos Solis on Desperate Housewives) wasn't a sleaze who hit on a skimpily dressed Lilette. It would have been unnecessary, but almost every aspect of Vanessa is unnecessary to me, as it seems all they do is pile on with her character, taking her from bad to worse to basically irredeemable with her continued bad decisions. So I was definitely expecting the worst with Ricardo, and I was very glad to be wrong about that.

I was probably happiest for Lilette, Robbie, and Simon in getting to perform the script as was intended. It felt like a revelation for their lives in ways that changed them as people going forward. I'd like to think that had another season happened, we'd get a better version of Vanessa, that those tears in her eyes watching her daughter perform, helped to transform her in a similar way that it did for her daughter. And if not for that reason, just merely that Katims would realize, he misstepped in making this Latina mother into some stereotypical irresponsible single parent and needed to rectify it at least somewhat.

[Trees]

So sad that this show is cancelled.  

[nilyank]

On 5/16/2018 at 7:10 PM, CelticBlackCat said:

So many unanswered questions.  I didn't even think that Vanessa's new boyfriend (who she obviously looked up when she was MIA) is really Lilette's father.

 

I really think that he is the dad. He drove all the way from Phlly to watch a high school musical of his new office manager/maybe girlfriend? Nope. He brought chocolates for Lilette and looked a little bit nervous but proud when he looked at her.

[CelticBlackCat]

12 hours ago, nilyank said:

I really think that he is the dad. He drove all the way from Phlly to watch a high school musical of his new office manager/maybe girlfriend? Nope. He brought chocolates for Lilette and looked a little bit nervous but proud when he looked at her.

I agree with you.  I don't think my wording of my OP was clear enough now that I read it again.  I meant to say I didn't even think that as being the case while I was watching the show, but can see that it probably is now that someone else mentioned it!  That would make sense as to why Vanessa went to find him as she left her daughter at home.

If there was a Season 2, hopefully Vanessa and her new friend/boyfriend would spill the beans to Lilette, form a family by getting married and Vanessa could forget all about the Coach.  Coach would go back to his wife and they could start over again and Gwen could stop hating her father and start smiling again.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

3 hours ago, CelticBlackCat said:

Coach would go back to his wife and they could start over again and Gwen could stop hating her father and start smiling again.

Gwen's mom deserves someone better than a cheating cheater who cheats so I'd be fine with them staying divorced. Both parents said that their marriage was not going well even before the affair. I am not a fan of parents getting back together/staying together for the sake of the kid(s). If you're unhappy together, then stay apart!

[BigDfromLA]

That's a wrap.

Three months from now, will anybody even remember that this show existed?

[Haleth]

I finally got around to watching the last few episodes and I'm so glad I did. The finale was a great payoff. Lovely ending, I bawled through the whole thing. Kudos to those wonderfully talented young actors. Hope to see them soon in other shows. 

At least the premature cancellation meant they didn't run into the problem of the kids outgrowing their characters as happened in FNL, forcing the writers to keep retconning their ages.