Christian Hoff, JERSEY BOYS, 2006 Best Featured Actor in a Musical- Page 2

[CarlosAlberto]

Posted: 7/20/15 at 7:50pm

I had forgotten that Matthew Risch and Joe Mantellon were an item. I do remember when this all went down how no one believed the reasons given.

[ghostlight2]

Posted: 7/20/15 at 8:18pm

The whole success of Jersey Boys is a mystery to me.

Updated On: 7/20/15 at 08:18 PM

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 7/20/15 at 8:23pm

The headband is so brave to always springboard off other people's posts to show off his non-existant insidery expertiseishness.

[ghostlight2]

Posted: 7/20/15 at 8:27pm

^^^and you encourage him by responding.

[Liza's Headband]

Posted: 7/20/15 at 8:37pm

Right?! It's kind of amazing. 

[ghostlight2]

Posted: 7/20/15 at 8:39pm

"Stockard Channing vetoed just about every potential male co-star that was brought to her attention when they were casting. For whatever reason, she took a liking to Hoff. "


I don't know if that's true, but I always wondered if Michael Berresse was up for that role. Playing against Stockard Channing, age wasn't an issue, and Hoff is only three years younger than Berresse, who plays younger on stage. Hoff was the better singer, but Berresse surpassed him (imo) as an actor, having played a charming cad many a time, and is inarguably the better dancer. Seems like a role he was made for.

[LarryD2]

Posted: 7/20/15 at 9:01pm

The PAL JOEY production started out as a commercial production that was to star Hugh Jackman and be directed by Mantello. When that fell through, Roundabout got their hands on it and hoped to use it as a vehicle for Harry Connick, who'd just given them a huge hit with PAJAMA GAME. But Connick wasn't interested in coming back to Broadway so quickly. Hoff did two readings before it went to production, so he must have impressed everyone enough to make it onto the stage in the first place -- although he didn't last long.

[Soaring29]

Posted: 7/20/15 at 11:27pm

Off-topic, but those Broadway.com predictions surprised me.  Did Lachanze have more support then Patti towards the end and it wasn't that big of a shocker that she won? 

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 7/20/15 at 11:35pm

I think the story here is how neither Actor was able to use their win to further a career, JLY has had a shakey time getting another lead role and Hoff is still doing a "rip-off" version of JB after all these years.  They are not the first (or last) winners whose careers have actually nose-dived after a TONY win.  I think I also remember that both their speeches were very similar in respect to their Dads.

[Jeffrey Karasarides]

Posted: 7/21/15 at 9:18am

Christian Hoff's Speech

John Lloyd Young's Speech

I think we've all learned that winning awards do not make careers, they only add prestige to them.

John Lloyd Young had said in interviews with Richard Ridge and Paul Wontorek that after having made it big in Jersey Boys, it would've been difficult to go back to doing experimental theatre and potentially alienate all the fans he gained as Frankie Valli.

Lately, Young has been doing solo concerts, while Hoff is touring with J. Robert Spencer, Daniel Reichard, and Michael Longoria (JLY's alternate/replacement).

I'd be happy for anyone of them to someday come back to Broadway in different roles, but it's still nice to see what they've all been up to nowadays.

Updated On: 7/21/15 at 09:18 AM

[Kad]

Posted: 7/21/15 at 9:36am

All they've been doing is riding the Jersey Boys gravy train, though. The show absolutely pigeon-holed them into one type of performance.

[mikem]

Posted: 7/21/15 at 10:03am

Jim Dale won both the Outer Critics Circle and Drama Desk awards that year, and he really was the heavy favorite to win.  One thing I remember thinking after the Tonys is that I had no idea what Christian Hoff's singing voice sounds like.  I don't know if he does any solo singing in Jersey Boys at all.

I guess Hoff, Reichard, Spencer, and Longoria are putting their acting careers on hold to do the Midtown Men concerts.  I don't think any of them have appeared on stage in years.  

[aj88]

Posted: 7/21/15 at 10:30am

I definitely remember predicting Jim Dale at the time, but agree that there wasn't a lot of passion behind it. I had hoped from an upset from either Manoel Feliciano or Danny Burstein and was certainly surprised when Christian Hoff slipped in. 

I probably would have given Best Actor to either Cerveris or Martin before giving to John Lloyd Young but I think he was pretty safe bet leading up to Tony night....I still was surprised how Jersey Boys pulled off the win. It doesn't seem as surprising in retrospect, but I still think Drowsy Chaperone was robbed of that award.

 

[doodlenyc]

Posted: 7/21/15 at 10:34am

Hoff was a surprise, as was LuPone's loss to LaChanze, but the big upset was "Pajama Game" winning revival over "Sweeney Todd".

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 7/21/15 at 10:53am

"All they've been doing is riding the Jersey Boys gravy train, though. The show absolutely pigeon-holed them into one type of performance. "

This seems to have happened to a lot of other people who've been in the show, too. Either they don't leave, or they end up doing quartet shows (nothing wrong with that, but clearly JB-influenced). Andrew Rannells, Michael James Scott, Andy Karl, Jarrod Spector, and Jeremy Kushnier seem to be the exceptions.

Interesting to look at this list. And that there've only been two Nick Massis in almost 10 years on Broadway. 

http://www.playbillvault.com/Show/Detail/Cast/5226/Jersey-Boys-at-August-Wilson-Theatre 

Updated On: 7/21/15 at 10:53 AM

[mikem]

Posted: 7/21/15 at 11:01am

I had forgotten about the Pajama Game win.  It was especially shocking because John Doyle won Best Director for Sweeney Todd, and no other revival had won Best Director of a Musical but not Best Revival since the Revival award started.

The Drowsy Chaperone was Danny Burstein's first nomination.  I think if he had been more established at the time, he would have won.

[Jeffrey Karasarides]

Posted: 7/21/15 at 11:04am

I guess Hoff, Reichard, Spencer, and Longoria are putting their acting careers on hold to do the Midtown Men concerts.  I don't think any of them have appeared on stage in years.

J. Robert Spencer did recently get to play Abraham Lincoln in The Uncivil War at Adirondack Theatre Festival.

[LarryD2]

Posted: 7/21/15 at 12:22pm

Can you blame a lot of these guys for cashing in on the JERSEY BOYS success? It's great money. Bobby Spencer and Christian Hoff have families, mortgages, etc. Midtown Men concerts pay significantly better than a little Off-Broadway show or regional gig. And a guy like Matt Bogart -- a nice, talented guy, also with a family -- probably isn't going to get a better-paying gig than Nick Massi, so as long as they want him, he seems happy to stay.

Folks forget that acting is a business and a livelihood. Some view staying with a show as a kind of failure, when it's really a prudent way to make a living.

[Bettyboy72]

Posted: 7/21/15 at 1:35pm

Hoff and Young never really caught fire after the Tony wins which explains Hoff doing the concerts and Young going back to Jersey Boys.

I thought Matt Risch was incredible and Stockard adored him.

[JBradshaw]

Posted: 7/21/15 at 5:30pm

"I believe Jim Dale was favored to win for Threepenny Opera that year. I do recall Hoff's win being something of a surprise.
(And Reichard mentioned Brandon Victor Dixon as taking his own place in the nomination lineup.)
Not sure how much I agree with this."

 I can't pic Danny saying that. Yes he should of been nominated but I've spent a lot of time around him. I can't picture him saying that. 

Brandon was great in color purps

[east side story]

Posted: 7/21/15 at 7:31pm

Reichard has been mentioning how he expected a nomination for the better part of a decade. I worked at that theatre for the first three years it was open. Trust me. He was disappointed that he was not singled out. He definitely would have said something like that.

[Balthazar Chasen]

Posted: 7/22/15 at 10:51am

Yes, indeed, Daniel Reichard said he was omitted from the lineup, replaced by Brandon Victor Dixon.  The Featured Actor (Musical) nominees from the Drama Desk Awards were duplicated with the 2006 Tony nominations except Brandon Victor Dixon was nominated instead of Reichard. 

[doodlenyc]

Posted: 7/22/15 at 11:14am

"...nominees from the Drama Desk Awards were duplicated with the 2006 Tony nominations except Brandon Victor Dixon was nominated instead of Reichard."

That's not accurate. Manoel Felciano wasn't nominated for the DD either, Korbich was nom'd instead of Burstein for "Chaperone" and John McMartin wasn't nom'd for a Tony (GG transferred and was eligible the following year.)

DD nom's:

Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical :
Jim Dale, The Threepenny Opera
Alexander Gemignani, Sweeney Todd
Christian Hoff, Jersey Boys
Eddie Korbich, The Drowsy Chaperone
John McMartin, Grey Gardens
Daniel Reichard, Jersey Boys

Tony Nom's:

Christian Hoff – Jersey Boys as Tommy DeVito

• Danny Burstein – The Drowsy Chaperone as Adolpho


• Jim Dale – The Threepenny Opera as Mr. Peachum


• Brandon Victor Dixon – The Color Purple as Harpo


• Manoel Felciano – Sweeney Todd as Tobias

[Balthazar Chasen]

Posted: 7/22/15 at 12:37pm

Oops, sorry.  I knew I shouldn't have posted that...it's been nine years, though.  My point is Daniel Reichard was disappointed he didn't receive a Tony nomination & he mentioned Brandon Victor Dixon as the surprise nominee he felt probably took his place in the lineup.