My head canon is that Olive's mom abandoned her and her father, and forfeited her parental rights, and Olive's father doesn't know how to break it to Olive, so he just tells her a partial truth. He tells her that her mom is in India, but he doesn't tell Olive that her mom is never coming back. And the dad, is having to bare all the weight and financial responsibility of being a single father, with no child support from Olive's mother. He is so angry and frustrated at the situation that he doesn't filter it in front of Olive, and he gets upset with her over little things, and spends all of his time working just to keep then afloat. He doesn't prioritize Olive's happiness. He probably works two jobs, and just wants to sleep when he comes home. He would like to be at the spelling bee, but he can't risk making his boss unhappy by leaving work early. Olive can't see any of this, she just see's her father being emotionally distant, and his bittnerness at the situation.
I’m playing Olive and I have my own family issues so I’m expecting to cry during this song. Edit: Didn’t have tears come out at the show because I felt numb. But I did cry during rehearsals. The actor playing Olive’s Dad wasn’t there that day, and Olive’s Mom was singing so when I looked to my left, the actor wasn’t there. The cast in the audience started singing to “fill in”. I started bawling, because I know what it’s like to feel the presence of one parent whilst feeling the absence of the other. And people trying to fill in for the empty void, but it’s just never the same.
f I go to Washington Will I be on my own? Because if I go to Washington [OLIVE’S MOM] Aaah aah aah aah aah aah [OLIVE] Who will be my chaperone? [OLIVE’S MOM] We always knew you were a winner We saw it when you smiled Start from the beginning When you were a beginner You were the perfect child We always knew, we always knew, you were a champion You sadness filled my room Dear, if you should feel my gloom Blame it on me Blame it on your Daddily and Mammily ‘Cause depression runs in our family I-I-I love you I-I-I love you I love everything about you dear And I swear it’s true I love you I-I-I love you [OLIVE, spoken] And my dad says: [OLIVE’S PARENTS] I-I-I love you I love everything about you, baby/babe And maybe it’s true: I love you [OLIVE] I wrote you a letter How I found the spelling bee such fun Mama, Mama, Mama But you didn’t react And you never asked me If I’d join you in the Bombay sun Mama, Mama, Mama I had quietly packed When are you returning? I know we agreed Tell me what you’re learning Ma, I have Oh God This need... think Dad is angry, Ma And I do not know what to do Mama, Mama, Mama Shanti, shanti and om I think he takes out on me What he wants to take out on you Mama, Mama, Mama How I wish you were home How I wish you were home How I wish you were Wish you were [OLIVE] Home- How I wish you were Home How I wish you were How I wish you were Home How I wish you were How I wish you were Home Mama, Mama, Mama How I Wish you were Home- Mama! I-I-I love you I love you, Mama I love you, Mama Mama! Mama! [OLIVE'S MOM] We always knew you were a winner A bathing beauty, You Olive, we couldn’t be prouder Please let me say it One time louder I-I-I love you I-I-I love you I love everything about you, dear And I swear it's true I love you I-I-I love you I-I-I love you I love everything about you, dear And I swear it's true I love... [OLIVE'S DAD] We always knew you were a winner God, we love the way you grew Since you were born Please let me say it One time louder I-I-I love you I-I-I love you I love everything about you, baby Maybe it's true I love you I-I-I love you I-I-I love you I love everything about you, baby Maybe it's true I love... [OLIVE, spoken] Chimerical. C-h-i-m-e-r-i-c-a-l. Highly unrealistic, wildly fanciful. [PANCH, spoken] That is correct. [OLIVE & PARENTS] I love you
I can't believe someone videoed this back when cell phones weren't common. Nothing hits like that original cast. They really got it right. Olivia and her mother are perfect.
Does anyone notice towards the end where olives mom and dad are singing and instead of singing I swear it’s true I love you with olives mom, olives dad sings maybe it’s true? Really sets the tone on how olive comes to the conclusion that her mom loves her but she’s trying to convince her dad he loves her. Such a well thought out song.
I played Barfée for a showing of Putnam County, and I still remember the first show we did and I almost teared up when we did this song, so damn powerful, and the Olives I worked with were so incredibly talented
i love reading the comments on these videos because none of my theater friends have never even heard of this musical so it sort of makes me feel better lol. i wanna do it at my high school so bad but none of teachers know anything about it soooo :(
what’s so ironic ab this is that the mom is painted in this “perfect and motherly” light because it’s what olive pictures her to be like even tho she doesn’t know what her mother is like @ the moment & when she says the line “i wrote you a letter... but you didn’t react” it has the implications that she has no contact with her mother whatsoever since neither her nor her dad have heard from her in so long
just the fact the she entire show is so freaking hilarious and ridiculous and this.song. (in my opinion) is possibly one of the saddest show-tune tracks ever is what makes this song so hard to listen to
There's so much in this song that people don't talk about. It's so underrated.. our high school just put on this production and it was amazing. I was tearing up throughout the whole song...
Her vibrato and resonance on the “how I wish you were...” just before the parents come back in hits me in the chest every time. Celia is able to place the emotion in every lyric of this song. Her phrasing exemplifies true understanding of music and lyric together.
The way did it the show we just did at my school, was we would emphasize that her mom was gone for 9 months and made it seem in the number that her mom got pregnant with another mans baby and went to India to have the baby and no one would know
The way she sings, "mama, mama, mama' is slightly more childish sounding than the rest of her singing and it just reminds you that we're witnessing a child, a child who dreaming of parental love. Whenever she says it I start to break down, it's just heartbreaking.
I’m playing Olive Ostrovsky for my High School and this song always gets me and I get really emotional about it when we reherse it because I understand it, not to get all sappy but my family isn’t exactly a tight-knit one(William Finn pun intended), so preforming this will be an emotional experience.
That's how I felt when I played Olive. We had the honor of watching the local college put on the exact same play we were putting on, and the girl who played Olive said she always teared up during this song. Later, our girl who played Olive's mom and the obnoxious lady (idr her name...Perreti?) said that it wasn't THAT sad of a song. I wanted so badly to point out that she is the spoiled youngest daughter of a two parent and sibling home, so NO she's not going to understand the struggle and fear and questions of a broken family like this. I STILL tear up when I listen to or sing this song.
If you actually analyze it, people aren't laughing at depression...they're laughing because it's true and majority of people have been there too. It's a relatable topic but also the songwriter purposefully used a silly rhyme, which in turn allows the audience to laugh and let their guard down, basically so the song can hit them harder. The actress also makes a face to lead the audience into the laugh as well as the music speeding up at the exact moment. It's actually a strategic move really
Tbh I always got the vibes that Olive has always been neglected at home but also experiencing physical and I personally picked up possible sexual abuse. I just saw the “he takes out on me ehat we wishes he could take out on you line” as an indirect @ to sexual abuse, just an opinion though
