u/axelpro30

Broadway Cares just announced that LJ Benet, Jennifer Duka, Shoshana Bean, and Benjamin Pajak will be at the autograph table and photo booth at the Broadway Flea Market in Sunday!

LJ and Jennifer will be there from 12-12:50 and Shoshana and Benjamin will be there from 1-1:50. More info here: https://broadwaycares.org/pre-event/broadway-flea-market-and-grand-auction-2026/

“War” has really grown on me. The first time I heard it, I was struck by the power and beauty of Maria’s voice, and it was one of the most impressive vocal performances of the show for me. On my second and third watch of the show, that’s when I could focus on the message and feel the emotion. And don’t even get me started on when the ensemble joins in at the end! Haunting.

I’ve seen a few comments on social media saying War feels out of place or doesn’t fit the tone/message of the show. What do you think of the song? Personally, I would have loved to get more of Star’s backstory in it (especially because it’s preceded by a really emotional scene between her and David), but nonetheless I really enjoy it.

Below I’ve shared some background on the song from Maria and the Rescues. Hearing Maria talk about the intention behind the song and how she feels singing it has made me appreciate “War” much more.

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Maria: From the moment I heard that song, I felt its power. I had a lot of conversations with AG and Kyler, the women of The Rescues, about how important it was to have this moment of feminine rage that didn't need to be controlled or set inside some sort of digestible experience. That was really exciting for me.

We spoke a lot about being a Black woman and getting to take on that moment. It's so cathartic every night because, as a world and as a nation, we are going through so much turmoil, and it can feel completely hopeless.

This song allows you to be in that space. Star is allowing herself to step into that feeling of, "Actually, no, I'm not cool with what's happening. I'm frustrated. I don't know what to do," and then getting it all out at the end. I think it's really powerful.

A lot of people, specifically women and women of color, talk to me about how important it is to have a song they can sing at home where they can just get it all out. That's what "War" was always meant to be.

https://www.buzzfeed.com/andrewfirriolo/the-lost-boys-maria-wirries-star-interview

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AG: Don't you remember Arden was like, guys, so there's no real tentpole song in the second act. That was when "Wild" used to be in the first act. So we need a tentpole, and not only does it need to serve the story specifically for this moment, but it needs to be a commentary on the world at large.

England: “Again, the violence of men is what rules us in the end.” It's the feeling of powerlessness that Star has in this moment, in the middle of all this violence that we all feel from time to time.

Mann: One of my favorite parts of that song is the very beginning. The first verse, “I'm always in between a match and gasoline, no matter what I choose, everything will burn.” Often, I feel like those first lyrics open the floodgates.

AG: You can sense that she feels that song on a deeper level, and to me that is a gift that I am so happy to be able to give to a woman of color, a queer woman of color being able to sing that song on a stage every night.

https://playbill.com/article/track-by-track-breakdown-the-rescues-share-on-and-offstage-secrets-from-the-lost-boys