BREAKING NEWS: Constantine Maroulis to Star in Broadway-Bound JEKYLL & HYDE Tour; Launches Fall 2012- Page 2

[f13overture]

Posted: 1/29/12 at 3:43pm

Is it April Fools Day?

...okay, I'll fess up: I wanna see this!! I've never seen the show before, but I've seen some videos of Eder singing some of the songs and I really liked it...and also I liked the Ripley/Skinner version of one of the songs on their Duets album. Yes, I am intrigued indeed.

[socarrat]

Posted: 1/29/12 at 4:12pm

"Maroulis trained at one of the best musical theatre colleges in the country, started out in musical theatre long before American Idol, and has actually spent more of his career performing on stage than doing anything else. It surprises me when people act like he's another pop star off the street who does theatre between albums or TV gigs."

You misinterpreted my post. I'm a fan of several singers who came from that show, and they've been successful on Broadway. I hope to see more of them there. Rock of Ages wasn't much of a challenge for Maroulis, so he didn't prove himself in that stage IMO. It remains to be seen if he's versatile enough to handle the Jekyll/Hyde role, not to mention the musical challenge. He made have trained for musical theater, but that doesn't make him a stage actor. We'll see.

Maybe Wildhorn is making Jekyll & Hyde into a Rock musical. J/K

[blaxx]

Posted: 1/29/12 at 4:20pm

I don't mind his voice, but every time I've seen him onstage he looks annoyed or bored or both.

[Jane2]

Posted: 1/29/12 at 4:37pm

"can someone explain this guy's appeal?

Not really. Art is subjective. Either he appeals to you or he doesn't. No explanation is necessary.

p.s. I'm a fan!

[Borstalboy]

Posted: 1/29/12 at 4:39pm

I'm somewhere between:

"Oh, the perfect marriage of star and show"

and

"Aww, that poor poseur deserves better material"

[evic]

Posted: 1/29/12 at 4:43pm

They may as well call it Bonnie and Hyde......time for another Wildhorn flop...I remember little of the original except a horrific number with umbrellas and of course the classic laughable scene in the laboratory. Will it play the same theater as the original for nostalgia sake?

[eatlasagna]

Posted: 1/29/12 at 4:46pm

"Not really. Art is subjective. Either he appeals to you or he doesn't. No explanation is necessary. "

it's not necessary but it helps... if i hate something i want someone to explain to me why they like it... i'm not asking anyone to defend why they like him... i just want to know why people like him

[Jane2]

Posted: 1/29/12 at 4:59pm

There's a slight tone of snark when someone asks that question. You don't see where the guy is talented or appealing, we get that. Now you want to know why we think so.

The answer to your question is that he's talented and appealing. Wouldn't that be kind of obvious an answer from one who thinks he's talented and appealing? Does that help?

[AC126748]

Posted: 1/29/12 at 5:06pm

I hope to see more of them there. Rock of Ages wasn't much of a challenge for Maroulis, so he didn't prove himself in that stage IMO.

You do realize he's been in other shows, right? Just because you've only seen him in one show doesn't mean that you know his entire resume.

I didn't misinterpret your post. You said that you hope Maroulis doesn't turn out to be "another Hasselhoff." I'm saying that by training and career alone, that's not likely possible. But let's not act like this show is Chekhov, anyway.

[Jersey Girl2]

Posted: 1/29/12 at 6:58pm

>>>>>>i just want to know why people like him

I think they call it charisma. He has it.
& I have liked his voice from the first time I heard it.
I was doing something with the TV on, he started singing and I looked up & was hooked.
Even my husband admits he has amazing stage presence.

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 1/29/12 at 7:59pm

Hey blaxx we all know you hate the show & Wildhorn so you are offically beating a dead horse.

[RippedMan]

Posted: 1/29/12 at 8:13pm

Hm. Def. interesting. I wonder if this will be indeed like HAIR and run in the summer and make some money, or if they'll attempt to open it for the Tonys.

And this doesn't mean that Toxic Avenger can't come to New York.

[dreaming]

Posted: 1/29/12 at 8:41pm

I'm thrilled with this casting. I love Constantine Maroulis and have no doubt he'll be very, very good, indeed. I hope they get rid of "Good and Evil" and put "Bring on the Men" back in.

[BenjaminNicholas2]

Posted: 1/29/12 at 10:38pm

Hope they cast a capable Lucy. No one could sing this show like Linda Eder... Everyone else seemed like they struggled with the notes. Not Eder. She was stunning vocally.

Her acting on the other hand. Well, that was atrocious.

[adamgreer]

Posted: 1/29/12 at 11:03pm

Will they bring back those umbrellas for that Murder song with those horrendous lyrics ("They murdered dear old Bessy, I hear extremely messy!")?

About the only thing I enjoyed in the original production was Linda Eder's singing. It didn't matter that she was singing inane songs that had no real meaning, she could belt like it was nobody's business.

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 1/29/12 at 11:09pm

I was taken aback by how endearing Maroulis was in the Rock of Ages tour. Jekyll & Hyde is such a mess, though, that I hope this is at least an entertaining mess. Boring messes are no fun (ahem, Spider-Man).

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 1/30/12 at 12:36am

I've only seen it via the Hasselhoff filming which I admit I found campy fun, though not enough to have much desire to see it again. I freely admit that's not a good way to judge the piece, although I do know that Wildhorn isn't really a favorite of mine (though I do like some of his songs out of context).

Reading the BWW piece I admit I knew it ran a fairly long time but had no idea it racked in 1500+ performances (today they also featured Sweet Charity and I admit I did find it a bit disappointing to read SC only ran 600 or so performances in comparison, although I admit that SC, despite so much of the Fosse production being brilliant IMHO is not without its flaws). Some of the wording of the release confuses me--why are the Septemeber dates called "Pre tour" dates and not part of the tour? Is it because they'll work as a preview period with changes being made, etc?

I'll be interested to see how Calhoun does with it. I have a soft spot for Robin Phillips who did the original production, because he was artistic director of the Citadel Theatre in Edmonton when I was growing up there, and he lived beside and was friends with my Aunt, so I got to see most of his shows for free, and liked a lot of them, but I can't remember being too impressed with J&H as filmed, staging wise. On the other hand I think Calhoun has a lot of potential as a director/choreographer that rarely seems to actually be realized on stage (for a while people really did seem to think he would be Tommy Tune's successor, though perhaps more due to their collaborations, even the overblown Grease revival, than anything else).

[sopranobiz]

Posted: 1/30/12 at 2:13am

I hate to be a stick in the mud but I don't buy that this tour is happening.

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 1/30/12 at 2:37am

LOL I am pretty sure the tour will happen. It ending up on Broadway is a different matter...

[Markecib]

Posted: 1/30/12 at 8:20am

This is how it started its life, as a tour, then ended up on Broadway. Though what was on tour and what ended up in New York were two totally different productions. The tour was great, the show in NY, not so great.

I like the choice of director and I did like what Calhoon did with Bonnie & Clyde. I'll remain slightly optimistic with this show.

[somethingwicked]

Posted: 1/30/12 at 8:46am

Considering Jeff Calhoun has cast Melissa van der Schyff in BONNIE & CLYDE, BIG RIVER, and the Deaf West production of PIPPIN, I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if she ends up in this.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 1/30/12 at 10:04am

I'm thrilled with this news as it shows great potential. I just hope someone learned something from the Broadway fiasco. The three pre-Broadway productions were all infinitely better than what wound up on Broadway (though the third started showing signs of too much tinkering) and I'll never understand how anyone thought they were improving it in any way. If they would just put the first pre-Broadway tour back up on stage, they might have a hit on their hands. I never would have thought of Maroulis, but that's brilliant casting. I was quite surprised how much I loved him in Rock of Ages.

[Kev]

Posted: 1/30/12 at 12:00pm

Hope they cast a capable Lucy. No one could sing this show like Linda Eder... Everyone else seemed like they struggled with the notes. Not Eder. She was stunning vocally.

I wouldn't say Eder's replacements, Luba Mason and Coleen Sexton, struggled with the notes. Neither had the rich power of Eder's instrument but, all were solid and distinct in their own right.

And I actually preferred the Broadway staging (though not necessarily all the changes) to the post-Broadway tour (full of even more camp and cheese), so I'm looking forward to Calhoun's work on this tour.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 1/30/12 at 2:02pm

I never saw the post-Broadway tour. I was so disappointed with what they did to the show on Broadway, I gave up after that. I was literally laughing during the spandex devil boys, first act finale, the umbrella dance, and Lucy's death. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. And I even remember seeing the show before Bitch Bitch Bitch was cut! Even that number wasn't as bad as what wound up on Broadway.

[hyperbole_and_a_half]

Posted: 1/30/12 at 2:05pm

Who the hell is still financing Wildhorn productions in 2012??? The producers could save themselves some time and allow me to flush their money down the toilet for them.