Themes

Authenticity

Isabela’s song

Being herself instead of doing what’s expected of her / fitting in “I’m so sick of pretty, I want something true, don’t you?”

Beauty and joy in everything

Isabela’s song - “It’s not symmetrical or perfect, But it’s beautiful”

Acceptance, letting go

Dos Orugitas - the need to let go of what came before to allow new beautiful things to come into our life. To accept that that unfolding is all perfect (because it is)—and let go of our expectation of how we think things ‘should’ play out

Pressure and expectation

Luisa’s song

Has to act like everything’s perfect - can’t show that it becomes too much

Seeking happiness in the external/material

Abuela: magic > family bond

Kind > Special

The mental health stuff

Family trauma

Family stereotypes / burdens. The rock… The golden child…

They don’t like their roles, they don’t feel authentically them, but they feel a sense of obligation to the family to play their part

…Until that all falls apart

…And they learn to love and be loved for their true selves

Loving > Special

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=diuYQxcLdWw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3O28uSZxyEw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2agMBdnv3c https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lntYjsU8KkI&t=0s

“Open my eyes” from Mirabel in soliloquy and then soon after from Abuela in soliloquy: they feel they’re missing something… world is however a person sees it. No capital-T Truth. Perspective, framing, understanding the world for ourselves.

Woahhhh ok Bruno is our ‘There’s no such thing as a dragon’ analogy. They didn’t like the vision he presented to them and instead of accepting that it was the current truth they denied it, hid it, essentially told him it/he didn’t exist, he disappears. But he’s still there in the walls, it’s still growing, Chernobyl-truth-style (“When the truth offends, we lie and lie until we can no longer remember it is even there, but it is still there.”)—it always comes back in the end, and worse than if we hadn’t ignored it to begin with. Non-acceptance of change. He’s talking about inevitable change, and they’re rejecting both that change and him as messenger.

Pepa - emotions affect everyone around her (through weather). Everyone can feel the negativity when she’s negative.

Camilo - acts like someone else around him. To fit in / get what he needs - non-authentic, but feels safer / necessary for coping/survival

Madrigal, the family name - a style of music where lots of different people are all overlapping/weaving different melodies into a tapestry, a conducive whole. Ooft, genius.

Mirabel as conductor. She doesn’t have her own instrument / role, but she silently orchestrates everyone else’s role, everyone else’s finding their true self. She’s the synergist. The most important!