Ron Raines for FOLLIES? Really?!

[CharlieHayes]

Posted: 5/1/12 at 7:01pm

In a production chalk full of wonderful, colorful performances, his was a snooze. I'd have rather seen tons of other fellas nominated over him.

Obviously, there's the Raul Esparza in LEAP OF FAITH snub (which really IS a snub, since the real problem-the musical itself-did somehow swing a nomination. Had it been shut out, the Esparza oversight would've been defensible).

As pretty as he's already sitting with a nomination for NEWSIES in the same category, Jeremy Jordan's work in BONNIE AND CLYDE was totally electric to a degree that his current Disney gig doesn't offer opportunity for. In a relatively bland season, his performance as Clyde was my favorite "good performance in a bad show." With that in mind, had LEAP OF FAITH been rightly ignored, I'd have rather seen Jordan nominated twice and Esparza not nominated, as much as I do adore him. He just couldn't overcome the material quite as well as Jordan did.

If you're unimpressed with Ron Raines's nomination, which performance would you rather see in its place?

Updated On: 5/1/12 at 07:01 PM

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 5/1/12 at 7:06pm

I thought Raines was great.

[tazber]

Posted: 5/1/12 at 7:10pm

So did I.

I thought they were all great, even Bernadette.

The only switch I'd make in their nominees would be Terri White for Houdyshell.

[macnyc]

Posted: 5/1/12 at 7:12pm

I thought Raines was wonderful too. Gorgeous voice!

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 5/1/12 at 7:14pm

Ron Raines was wonderful, his voice was impeccable and actibg spot-on for the role.
He is the perfect 5th contender in the category,
the anti-the Raul.

[CharlieHayes]

Posted: 5/1/12 at 7:14pm

I guess I'm alone on this. His pipes are great, but I found him so boring. Huh.

[Playbilly]

Posted: 5/1/12 at 7:15pm

I would have gone with Teri White, as well. But Houdyshell was wonderful, too.

[broadwaydevil]

Posted: 5/1/12 at 7:16pm

I too thought Raines was one of the best parts about a show that had a lot of incredible parts to it. I'm still a bit surprised (in a good way) that Raines was nominated only because he has the least showy role of the four leads. He has no shot at winning so the nomination is really just giving some recognition to a stellar performance. I think the nominations for best actor in a musical were spot on.

I also wish Terri White was nominated (and even Elaine Paige - mostly because I'm in love with Elaine Paige!!)

Jayne Houdyshell definitely gave a solid performance of a classic (which is difficult to do in it of itself) but her role is tiny and the way it was staged made it even smaller at the end of Broadway Baby. Terri, on the other hand, elevated her character and stopped the show single handedly.

Updated On: 5/1/12 at 07:16 PM

[macnyc]

Posted: 5/1/12 at 7:16pm

I loved Terri White's performance too.
Updated On: 5/1/12 at 07:16 PM

[Copperfield2]

Posted: 5/1/12 at 7:32pm

I agree that Raines' singing was great but his acting was wooden and on the level of his soap opera appearances. I also don't think Houdyshell needed to be nominated but it's always nice to recognize hard working actors who aren't in the limelight. I was especially pleased that Peters was overlooked because the three times I saw her she sang Losing My Mind like a zombie, seemed unsure how to act the part and kept had me yearning for Victoria Clark.

[Mildred Plotka]

Posted: 5/1/12 at 7:43pm

Raines has probably the trickiest role in Follies. I thought he tackled it with great intricacy and detail. It could have easily been a ham-fest in other hands. It's probably the first time I really empathized with Ben. To each their own, I guess, but I found him moving and heartbreaking.

[followspot]

Posted: 5/1/12 at 7:51pm

It somewhat depends on whether you saw his performance at the start of the run (wooden) or toward the end (human). (I saw both, and the improvement was impressive.) An unexciting but deserved nomination. (I would have preferred some recognition for Reeve Carney.)

[SondheimFan5]

Posted: 5/1/12 at 8:31pm

Raines gave a very good performance with the given material. Ben's such a skimpy role and Ron played it very well. I'm happy to see him recognized for his work in the show. He has a great set of pipes and he acted the role beautifully.

[adamgreer]

Posted: 5/1/12 at 8:51pm

I thought Raines gave an excellent performance. Of the four leads in that show, he had the most thankless and uninteresting role, and I thought he handled it extraordinarily well.

[SondheimFan5]

Posted: 5/1/12 at 10:10pm

Ben is also not exactly a "likeable" character, so that is an acting challenge in and of itself.

[miss pennywise]

Posted: 5/1/12 at 10:17pm

I am truly happy for Ron Raines. I thought he was wonderful...and deserving of the nod.

To be honest, prior to FOLLIES, I did not know who Ron Raines was. I kept asking, "Why would they cast such well-known Broadway vets with 'this guy'?" I suppose that's one of the reasons I was so impressed by his performance. The main reason, of course, was that he was riveting.

His transition from smart-alecky, know-it-all SOB to frail, vulnerable damaged goods was remarkable, really. None of the other characters had that arc; they were pretty consistent throughout. Raines had to shatter our judgments about Ben and reveal something we didn't know he was hiding. He sang the part beautifully, too.

Congratulations, Mr. Raines!

P.S. Not to take anything away from Jane Houdyshell, but I, too, am disappointed for Terri White. She stopped every show...well, at least the 5 that I was lucky enough to see.

[broadwaydevil]

Posted: 5/1/12 at 10:17pm

No, he isn't likeable throughout the show but if "Live, Laugh, Love" is acted, sang, and directed well he emerges as an incredibly tragic figure just as the curtain's about to fall. All of those boxes were checked off with Raines's performance and there's no doubt in my mind he deserves the nomination. The song, when done well, really changes the whole perspective of the show as we spend most of the time hating Ben only to realize the tremendous "folly" he's been living all of his life.

Updated On: 5/1/12 at 10:17 PM

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 5/1/12 at 10:24pm

Was Ron Raines in "Caucasian Chock Circle"? I didn't see RR, I saw his understudy. Now that was not a Tony-level performance.

[Copperfield2]

Posted: 5/1/12 at 11:02pm

As I said I thought Raines sang the part well, but I've seen four different productions of the show and I found his interpretation of the part probably the weakest I've seen in terms of acting.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 5/1/12 at 11:07pm

Well I thought he was awful.

Awfully wonderful!

[beagle]

Posted: 5/1/12 at 11:07pm

I thought Raines was wonderful, and I'm very glad he's being recognized with a nomination. All the pre-awards buzz in terms of leading actors has been about Danny Burstein, and although I thought Burstein gave a great performance, I thought Raines was at least as good in what seems like a more difficult role.

Updated On: 5/1/12 at 11:07 PM

[SondheimFan5]

Posted: 5/1/12 at 11:10pm

His breakdown was superb (the Pirandello moment thru the end). I knew the show going in and had seen it before, but it still surprised me at the line-forgetting moment.

[broadwaydevil]

Posted: 5/1/12 at 11:12pm

^Exactly.

[kevin5]

Posted: 5/2/12 at 12:00am

HOUDYSHEL deserves the nomination, Terri White was great, but I hope Houdyshel wins, she deserves it

[PalJoey]

Posted: 5/2/12 at 12:13am

He was fine. You were gratuitously nasty to start this thread. And it's "chock full" not "chalk full."