Darren Criss in Hedwig- Page 5
Darren Criss in Hedwig
#100Darren Criss in Hedwig
Posted: 4/30/15 at 2:12am
I was there tonight too, and it was better than I expected. His accent needs work (badly) and he's probably going to break a leg over the mic cord at some point if he doesn't get it together soon but other than that he wasn't as terrible as I thought he would be. Like the person above said, some parts he was actually really good. Rebecca's voice is just so amazing but something about her in the part is off, but I loved Lena so it cause just be me being biased.
Updated On: 4/30/15 at 02:12 AM
Sondheimite
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/5/14
#101Darren Criss in Hedwig
Posted: 4/30/15 at 2:43am
Just listened to him perform the role.
If I was watching Dick Cheney and John Goodman have sex with each other, I would be able to sustain an erection better than Darren Criss is sustaining the notes he’s singing. And the rest of his singing is as flat as his twelve year old fan girls chests are. Next.
Broadway World's Fireman.
Updated On: 4/30/15 at 02:43 AM
cascade
Chorus Member Joined: 4/30/15
#102Darren Criss in Hedwig
Posted: 4/30/15 at 3:16am
Sondehmite, your opinion isn't so witty and great that you needed to post it both here and on tumblr verbatim.
I was there tonight. Darren did better than expected and sounded good. Still getting his footing in some areas but I think he'll settle into the role as time goes on.
Updated On: 4/30/15 at 03:16 AM
#103Darren Criss in Hedwig
Posted: 4/30/15 at 7:31am
Wait....what?!?! You mean he wasn't as bad as all of you were predicting before he even put one leg onstage?! How is that possible?!?! I'm Shocked I tell you....shocked.
Countdown til Jordan comes on raging about how much loves me! 3..2..1...
#104Darren Criss in Hedwig
Posted: 4/30/15 at 8:33am
"I was there tonight, and enjoyed more than I thought I would. Having seen JCM's last show on Sunday night, the standards for tonight were set pretty low. Darren's voice was fine, he did a lot of different things with the music none of the other Hedwig's did. His acting was my problem: I didn't feel like he had the comic acting down. The last 10 minutes (Hedwig's Lament to end) were his shining moments, but some of the jokes didn't land as well as they did with other Hedwigs. He would stretch out the delivery and lose the laughs, if that makes any sense? His mic work was rough during Tear Me Down, but it improved throughout. With John Cameron Mitchell I saw HEDWIG, tonight I saw Darren Criss in drag sing songs and try to use an accent (it needs work). "
Can you expand on how the music has changed? I heard from someone else that they've significantly changed the songs for him, and I want to know just how different it is before I drop money on a ticket.
#105Darren Criss in Hedwig
Posted: 4/30/15 at 8:40am
I was there last night too and he was my least favorite since Neil; of course it's a tough task following JCM, but it's hard to forgive the pitch problems and wonky accent work. His timing with comedy will surely get better (can't get worse), but he fell into the trap of pushing too hard with Hedwig. The subtlety that JCM and Michael C. Hall brought to the role is completely missing from Criss' portrayal.
As others said, his strongest moments where in the last 15 minutes.
The audience was rather obnoxious; at one quiet moment someone screamed out, "we are not worthy," and I thought, "shut up! It's not like Liza's up there!"
The funniest line of the night was when Criss ad-libbed(?), "If you had wanted to see a mess on stage you should have gone to Dr. Zhivago." That perked me up, but otherwise my mind wandered a lot and I was happy to be on my way home.
Marie: Don't be in such a hurry about that pretty little chippy in Frisco.
Tony: Eh, she's a no chip!
#106Darren Criss in Hedwig
Posted: 4/30/15 at 8:42am
Did they revert back to the libretto that had bits with the house right box and Belasco's ghost?
#107Darren Criss in Hedwig
Posted: 4/30/15 at 8:49am
That Dr. Zhivago line sounds like JCM to me...
I was told the ghost in the box bit did not reappear, nor did JCM's Grindr stuff. No audience interaction other than the car washing, and the other Sugar Daddy stuff.
#108Darren Criss in Hedwig
Posted: 4/30/15 at 8:54am
The bits about Belasco's ghost are cut. The bit where Hedwig rehearses with the drummer to get his timing right is gone (the drummer comes in late one time, but the gag of trying it over and over again until they sync up is not restored).
I don't think they're "significantly" changed the songs for him. His vocal stylings are different than his predecessors though. His best vocal performance (and acting performance) was when he became Tommy Gnosis. He felt much more at ease playing the pop star than the underappreciated Hedwig.
Edit: the grindr stuff was gone, but Criss did intereact with the audience a bit when he asked whether we liked his hair. He seemed to take a few answers from the audience, but his forte is never going to be working the crowd like JCM did.
Marie: Don't be in such a hurry about that pretty little chippy in Frisco.
Tony: Eh, she's a no chip!
Updated On: 4/30/15 at 08:54 AM
dramamama611
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/4/07
#109Darren Criss in Hedwig
Posted: 4/30/15 at 8:57am
"Wait....what?!?! You mean he wasn't as bad as all of you were predicting before he even put one leg onstage?! How is that possible?!?! I'm Shocked I tell you....shocked."
I wouldn't exactly call these RAVE reviews though. Yes, its only a few people, and yes, he's just started....but I would certainly call these "lukewarm" reviews at best.
If we're not having fun, then why are we doing it?
These are DISCUSSION boards, not mutual admiration boards. Discussion only occurs when we are willing to hear what others are thinking, regardless of whether it is alignment to our own thoughts.
#110Darren Criss in Hedwig
Posted: 4/30/15 at 9:02am
Whizzer, so he's best in the last 15 minutes where he has no lines? 
How is he in the Hedwig/Tommy conversation that ends with love the front of me?
#111Darren Criss in Hedwig
Posted: 4/30/15 at 9:10am
Ha, yes!
I thought the Tommy/Hedwig scene was decent, though I was a little to involved with Rebecca's "I Will Always Love You" to be 100% paying attention to the beginning of it. He played Hedwig as angry and loud rather than sad and desperate; I prefer the latter.
Marie: Don't be in such a hurry about that pretty little chippy in Frisco.
Tony: Eh, she's a no chip!
#112Darren Criss in Hedwig
Posted: 4/30/15 at 9:22am
Are there recordings of him singing? I would love to hear them.
My sister went last night and said he was absolutely amazing but she is also a diehard Darren Criss fan girl/Gleek.
I saw NPH and JCM in the roles and I loved them both for different reasons. I am planning on seeing Darren but I am not sure what to expect.
#113Darren Criss in Hedwig
Posted: 4/30/15 at 10:04am
"Wait....what?!?! You mean he wasn't as bad as all of you were predicting before he even put one leg onstage?! How is that possible?!?! I'm Shocked I tell you....shocked."
The correct statement should read "as SOME of you" or "Most of You", not all. I predicted he would be passable and that is it- and it sounds like that was about right. Alot of people predicted the same or expressed faith in the casting.
Darreyl with an L!
Updated On: 4/30/15 at 10:04 AM
#114Darren Criss in Hedwig
Posted: 4/30/15 at 10:09am
Also, he could still be just as bad as people predicted to those people because everyone's opinions are different. so technically they could still be right. Everyone's impression of good and bad is different. What one thinks is good, others could find great or bad.
Darreyl with an L!
#115Darren Criss in Hedwig
Posted: 4/30/15 at 10:20am
^ Although, it's also not fair to just automatically assume he'll be bad and go in expecting to see a bad performance, because then you subconsciously spend the entire time looking for things about the performance to hate instead of finding something to enjoy.
Now, listening to audios from last night, it's true that it sounds like his accent needs work. A lot of it. However, vocally he's already sounding better than his H2$ days. I think with a little time he'll grow into it.
"Was uns befreit, das muss stärker sein als wir es sind." -Tanz der Vampire
#116Darren Criss in Hedwig
Posted: 4/30/15 at 10:30am
"^ Although, it's also not fair to just automatically assume he'll be bad and go in expecting to see a bad performance, because then you subconsciously spend the entire time looking for things about the performance to hate instead of finding something to enjoy.
Now, listening to audios from last night, it's true that it sounds like his accent needs work. A lot of it. However, vocally he's already sounding better than his H2$ days. I think with a little time he'll grow into it."
True, But i would think it would be hard not to assume if a person will be bad or good in a role when you hear casting. I mean, when you hear a name and a role, you normally make some sort of judgment, based on the character and their previous work- at least I do.
Darreyl with an L!
Updated On: 4/30/15 at 10:30 AM
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/31/69
#118Darren Criss in Hedwig
Posted: 4/30/15 at 11:07am
'"But i would think it would be hard not to assume if a person will be bad or good in a role when you hear casting. I mean, when you hear a name and a role, you normally make some sort of judgment, based on the character and their previous work- at least I do."
That's just human nature, when I hear anyone announced for a role I also make a judgement call if I think it's a good choice, but once the peformance is out there most people make their final judgement. I've been surprised both ways, some peformers who I deemed "ideal" fairly bombed and some who I thought were woefully miscast did surprisingly well.
So far from early comments here Darren hasn't got raves as in saying he's anywhere near the level of NPH , JCM, or the Hedwigs that preceded him. As the 5th Hedwig I think it's more if he can keep the box office going , ie bring a new crowd to the show.
"when I’m on stage I see the abyss and have to overcome it by telling myself it’s only a play." - Helen Mirren
#119Darren Criss in Hedwig
Posted: 4/30/15 at 11:39am
Can anyone who was there confirm that he did the carwash and the kiss with women? I don't know if it's a rule that those are usually done with men, but every other Hedwig I've seen has done those with a male audience member, and I'm kind of cringing at the idea of Criss making out with his female fanbase every night, especially since he's already said and done some things that make it seem like he has a fundamental misunderstanding of who Hedwig is.
timisimaginary
Chorus Member Joined: 3/2/15
#120Darren Criss in Hedwig
Posted: 4/30/15 at 11:57am
"I may be way off base here, but I've skimmed a few interviews with Darren Kriss and he constantly refers to Hedwig as a b!tch. I've never thought of her that way. I've always found her endearing... Not without her flaws, of course. She's certainly not very kind to Yitzak. I feel like he just doesn't get the character. Maybe it's me. I didn't read the interviews too closely, but I can't imagine I'll go see him. "
to be fair, yitzhak calls hedwig a bitch in the intro. at least he did up until JCM's run.
#121Darren Criss in Hedwig
Posted: 4/30/15 at 12:28pm
Post injury, John car washed whoever was in seat BB3, male or female, because it was easy to reach from the stage and there was a speaker there he could stand on. I don’t remember if he did it elsewhere pre injury. IMO, he would also pick whoever looked most interesting in the front row to kiss. He once bypassed a few guys to kiss a girl with an eyepatch, for example. But all things being equal, he would go for a guy.
I’m told Darren did car wash and kiss women last night. He didn’t stick to BB3 for the car wash, he chose a woman elsewhere.
#122Darren Criss in Hedwig
Posted: 4/30/15 at 12:39pm
I am wondering if it was his girlfriend.
I really can't judge that it was a woman. They have free reign to kiss/face hump whomever.
absolutbitter
Swing Joined: 2/17/15
#123Darren Criss in Hedwig
Posted: 4/30/15 at 12:39pm
Origin of Love
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kkdMsqxcJHk
I've typically liked his lower range which is his strongest, when he goes higher he "shouts" and usually doesn't sustain as is his pop singer MO. But I'm partial to Andrew's, and of course, JCM's versions.
#124Darren Criss in Hedwig
Posted: 4/30/15 at 12:45pm
I listened to all of the recording earlier and I really like his Origin of Love.
His weakest for me was Wicked Little Town.
