Profile for helvizz

I too was there tonight (3rd preview if there was a matinee today, and I think there was) and I loved this production as a whole.Overall it's very well directed, specially the memory scenes (I loved the lighting in those scenes). Laurie Metcalf absolutely shines as Linda and her monologue in the first act was heartbreaking. Nathan Lane is excellent as well. Happy is the smaller role between the brothers, but I felt the actor really made him believable. Biff, however, wasn't as good as he coul...

I was there for the first night of this cast. J Harrison Ghee was absolutely wonderful as Hermes. His singing was to die for and his stage presence was just as strong. Gaby Moreno was also delightful as Persephone, she was clearly having a blast and brought the house down with her voice.Joshua Colley and Jordan Tyson were very good as well. I'd wait a few weeks before seeing them so that they can grow into their roles - Joshua's falsetto can use some improvement, though his belt is already ex...

This didn't actually happen because 9/11 happened first so producers became much more cautious of how they'd spend money, but if I recall correctly Billy Porter was slated to play the Witch in the 2002 Into the Woods revival.Someone pointed out that Lena Hall played Hedwig - which is true, and it reminded me that Ally Sheedy was the first woman to play Hedwig, back in its original Off-Broadway run.

Jarethan said: "I have to admit that I have never heard of her. Where does she generally perform? Has she been on Broadway?"She's a West End actress and I don't think she's ever done anything on Broadway - or even in the US. I know she's been Donna in the London production of Mamma Mia for a few years, after having played Tanya as well, and from the videos I've seen she looks like she was made for the role. She's also released an album covering Abba songs, I highly recommend it if you like th...

It was an entertaining movie overall. The protagonist was excellent, great voice and very charismatic. I'm still puzzled as to why they had Debra Messing sing, as she's never been a singer (I mean, her singing was openly mocked in Will & Grace a few times).

Phillytheatreguy10 said: "Katrina and Beanie are not the same, one has technical ability and has grown the other had nothing to grow on. Also, the notion of “singing the score” is getting old with Katrina- she’s not a Tenor which is the vocal type the score was written for, they could’ve pitched it anywhere in the female voice, but it’s not her fault they orchestrated it where they did. Katrina was truly the only head scratcher of the morning for me- I wasn’t even that shocked by the Paradise...

ashley0139 said: "ElephantLoveMedley said: "helvizz said: "No matter how much she has improved, she still can't handle the score"This isn't true. She's singing the role as written and beautifully."Sondheim loved her and the way she sang his music. She just doesn't belt it like Elphaba, that's okay. I think her singing of the score is gorgeous.It's really amazing how polarizing she is in this role. People either think she's doing the best performance they've ever seen (me) or they hate her and...

YvanEhtNioj said: "What did the critics think of her performance? I remember it being pretty polarizing among us on the board"I think that's why she wasn't nominated - she has always divided opinions with her portrayal of Bobbie because of her vocals. No matter how much she has improved, she still can't handle the score, which is a shame because the role has two beautiful solos. I do think that's what stopped her getting a nomination, because acting-wise she's been stellar since the beginning...

Julia Murney as Diana in the original production of Next to Normal. Has she ever played the role at all?Also, I am haunted daily by the image below. To say Jennifer would've been a hoot is an understatement.

mikey2573 said: ""Sure, but it's not just a question of what's plausible, it's a question of how it reads on camera."Another story that backs this up: When Spielberg was making JAWS he had his props department make Chrissy Watkins's arm (she was the first victim) for Brody and Hendricks to find in the sand. Spielberg looked at the dead arm prop and said it looked fake, plasticky, and the wrong color. The props people told him that this is exactly how a dead, detached armwould look like after ...

I love the coming-of-age tone they gave the trailer. I hope the movie is faithful to it, instead of it just being a marketing gimmick. It's a change that could make for some new interesting material. The director did Perks of being a wallflower, wich is an excellent coming-of-age movie.Ben's hair aside, I think the movie looks beautiful and I can't wait for it!

ACL2006 said: "My major complaint is that Platt looks nothing close to a teenager in this."To be fair to Ben, I have18-year-old students who look like they're 30, just as I have other 18 y/o students who look like they're 14. It's a very weird age.

I loved the event, almost all of the performances were superb. Excellent song choices and cast. I do wish more actors would act the song instead of just singing it, but that's a problem (in my opinion, of course) Miscast has had for years. Aaron and Gavin should have kissed after their number was over, it'd've made for the perfect comical and yet song-appropriate moment.

TheatreFan4 said: "Does anybody have a list of what songs ended up getting cut?"Under the cut. Click Here To Toggle Spoiler ContentInútil, Sunrise, Hundreds of Stories, Enough, Atención, and Everything I know.I only really missed Inútil and Everthing I know.

I had trouble with a few elements of the movie (namely, the actress portraying Nina and the changes they've made to Abuela Claudia's storyline), but I still think this is a superb movie. The director was able to translate the stage version into a movie and it shows. Some changes to the book were made, as well as some songs being cut, but they were necessary to keep the running time as it is (~2h10min) and it's still quite coherent. A few book updates, like the part about undocumented immigran...

What a fun thread, this is a trip down memory lane and it got me to remember some great performances, like Emma Stone in Cabaret or Bradley Cooper in Elephant Man. Rupert Grint really was an excellent surprise in It's only a play (the show didn't do it for me, but he really sold his character), and Jordan Fisher knocked it out of the park as Evan Hansen (and I had high hopes for him!). I have to agree that Carly Rae Jepsen in Cinderella was just awful (she couldn't sing the score at all) and ...

I'd love to see What if it's us? as a musical. The book is entertaining, cute, funny and full of musical references (like its title). I think a good musical could come out of it.

Tag said: "Pam Ferris (a woman) played the role quite well in the Matilda film (arguably better than any male onstage). In the stage version, the drag role is just a gimmick." Yes, she did. I didn't say the role couldn't be played by a woman, I just said it could be played by a man as well and that it brought something new to the material. It's an interesting situation where you switch the gender of the actor, but not the gender of the character.

There are cases when switching a role's gender, age, race or body doesn't change anything: like the Leading Player, in Pippin., which has been played by both men and women. There are plays where this switch can add to the material: I saw Waitress with Nicollete Robinson, a black woman, as Jenna. It definitely set a new dynamic to the piece, what with her being in an abusive relationship with her white husband. And there are times where the switch can be... bad. That's where the limitations li...

Owen22 said: "I have disagreed with Brantley many times (beginning with giving Side Show a good review and then a bad review to Triumph of Love) but have never argued with his love of theatre and his ability to write. I will miss him very much.As for Jesse Green...he's a pretty good writer..."Couldn't agree more with you, Owen. Brantley always gave the best raves, which showed how much he loved theater in general, and the worst (or best?) pans, which were very often quite entertaining (I will...