Dr. W. A. Frost's Ides of Revolution

  “Alright, my Musical Mentees, welcome back to my Channel! I am your friendly neighborhood musical critic, Kyle Donaghue, and today we’re going to be reviewing something a little bit out of our typical wheelhouse!” Kyle sat with feigned excitement in front of his webcam. Though on the outside he eagerly drew out his intro for the 250th episode of his “Musique Critique” web series, internally he was livid. The young YouTuber had dreamed of becoming the go-to modern music critic on the platform but after almost two years of barely breaking a thousand views, he recognized he needed to do some market research on what his 347 subscribers wanted to see. Thus, after asking his audience for requests, the music of some newer wannabe rockstar gained traction to be reviewed. To the music conservatory graduate, such low-brow “music” was beneath him; yet reality dictated that the business of content creation was based upon supply and demand. His audience demanded it, and if he wanted to gain a...

Cory took a deep breath as he turned the corner, eyes tightly shut. Passersby likely stared with aloof confusion, but he didn’t care. This was the moment he’d dreamed of for almost fifteen years. Broadway, Nashville: the dream strip of country music nightclubs, southern apparel, moonshine, whiskey, and instruments. The gentle hum of twangy ballads tickled his ears, played by talented singers in the honky tonks along the street. It was now home. And as he opened his eyes, that dream was now reality. The street was bustling, even in midday. Tourists, buskers, musicians, and surely a few stars strolled past entranced in their own worlds they’d taken for granted. It took everything for Cory to get here- or rather it had cost him everything. Not that he minded. The move, to him, represented the beginning of the life he’d always dreamed he would lead: becoming the man he fantasized in his head. With his first steps, they were the first steps toward that goal. Walking slowly, he made his way ...

  Alexei smiled as he finished a perfect pirouette for Will. His boyfriend sat patiently, impressed by the finesse and grace that Alexei portrayed. Alexei was a ballerino protege in St. Petersburg for the Mariinsky Ballet, and he was a very good one at that. Will was also a dancer, but dabbled more in hip hop and breakdancing. When the two met, it was love at first sight: a match made in heaven. However, Will’s crew didn’t exactly approve of Alexei. Dmitri, the bboy crew ringleader, hatched a brilliant plan to make Alexei a much more “suitable” match for their dear American brother. Will had left the theatre about an hour before Alexei was finished with rehearsal. Swan Lake was an intense ballet that required a lot out of him, so he was absolutely exhausted as he began down the alleyway that leads to the street. Whipping out his phone, he shot a text to Will, promising that he’d meet him out in front of the Winter Palace, then on to dinner at the nicest restaurant around. However, ...