"Why do people have to lose things to find out what they really mean?" (Alan Jay Lerner, 1954)

Why indeed!

Why, when the movie musical love story starts with a simple greeting ("good day") and the touch of a hand (Brigadoon) or a challenge to turn a simple midwestern girl into a professional ballroom dancer (Easter Parade), does it seemingly end in anger, doubt, and sadness?

Because in the movie, musical love is a fantasy. A fantasy written in stardust and wishes (Easter Parade), heather on a hill (Brigadoon), or immortalized in song. (It's Almost Like Being in Love, It Only Happens When I Dance with You).

Fantasies in movie musicals are not bad things. They are what move the stories forward and draw us in.

They are the beautiful clothes, the bright colors, the handsome men, and the lovely women who get swept off their feet (literally and figuratively) and fall in love after a simple walk up an avenue or through a field of heather.

But when fantasy meets reality ("Is that the girl you used to dance with? Were you in love with her?" Hannah, Easter Parade.

"I don't know what goes on around here, but it's got nothing to do with me or you!" -Jeff, Brigadoon); believing in love can seem impossible.

Welcome to the March - April 2024 Edition - Love Lost, and Found in Brigadoon and Easter Parade

How do the couples approach the situation when belief in love is on shaky ground? In true movie musical fashion, they take the advice of friends who encourage a retreat from the situation or misread the room and receive no answers to vital questions.

At this point, each couple knows the pain of losing their loved one and must navigate their sorrow.

Tommie Albright (Brigadoon) returns to the reality and madness of Manhattan but continues to hear Fiona's voice in every corner of his life.

Hannah   Brown (Easter Parade) retreats from the Ziegfeld Follies to the isolation of her hotel room, but not before she speaks her mind to her partner.

Hannah: "You're lost. This isn't the Ziegfeld roof."

Don: "Why did you run off without letting me explain?"

Hannah: "You don't have to explain. This is after working hours."

Don: "I had to dance with Nadine."

Hannah: "You made that very obvious. You couldn't wait, could you? Was it fun watching me make a fool of myself all those months of rehearsal? I was willing to do anything to make good, but I thought it was for us. The whole thing was a buildup...to get Nadine back. Well, now you've got her.!"

Although Don seeks an opportunity to explain his actions, an angry, disappointed Hannah cuts him off - missing an opportunity to mend their shattering relationship.

As each couple laments their lonely fate, we, as an audience, wonder (often aloud), "Why can't you say what you mean?" Speak up when you see your partner in a situation you don't like! If you don't understand their motives, ask them: "What's happening?!"

But our reality has no place in the movie musical world. Boy has lost the girl, and pride, outweighing love, stifles their ability to find happiness - until outside forces guide them back together.

For Hannah and Don, that force is their best friend, Johnny Harrow. Johnny is the reasonable voice to anxiety-ridden Hannah.

Johnny: "Well, if I loved someone,

I'd find a way to let them know it."

Hannah: "Well, it's different with a man.

Johnny: "Why?"

Hannah: "I don't know. It just is, that's all. It's easier. They can...Johnny, Johnny!"

Johnny: "Put on his favorite dress. You'll be late for the Easter Parade. Do something about your face. You look horrible!"

Hannah: "Oh, Johnny, thank you!"

This exchange empowers Hannah to "woo" Don back into her arms with gifts, sweets, and a classic song that leads to a walk up the avenue and a ring on Hannah's finger.

A similar telephone exchange between a disheartened Tommie and his confused best friend, Jeff, empowers Tommie to return to the site of Brigadoon and give a powerful voice to his loss:

"Why do people have to lose things to find out what they really mean?" Which brings Fiona back to him and brings us full circle.

For both couples, despite missed opportunities and a wide range of emotions, love lost can be found when it means everything.

Thank you for looking in. If you like the content, please share a kind comment with me! I love hearing from friends and fans!

—Lori