The Official Raúl E. Esparza "Spread the Love" Thread, Part 3- Page 107

[MotorTink]

Posted: 8/22/07 at 10:11pm

Now I want to find this script even more. All along I hoped that the movie would give more depth into the characters and story. I am one of those people that when they fall in love with a character(s), I want to know all about them, even stuff not in the original piece. I thought RENT the movie could be the place to do that. While I overall love the movie as it is, for what it is...a quick fix for when I am in a RENT mood and can't see the show. But it has too much of a commercial bubble gum feel to it for me. Even though I have never cried harder than I did during the Without You/ICY:R scenes the first time I saw it.

Raul - I never pictured him as a mark or a Roger honestly. For some reason I always picture him more as Collins (not look wise obviously but just I dunno). I guess it has been since I first heard his raw emotion in Being Alive, and it reminded me so much of Jesse's in ICY:R.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 8/22/07 at 10:14pm

He's kind of one of those in-between actors... not quite Mark and not quite Roger.

... Angel?

[MotorTink]

Posted: 8/22/07 at 10:15pm

I would pay a good dollar to see him in the zebra print stockings!

[*brina-doll*]

Posted: 8/22/07 at 10:21pm

I could really see him as Collins. I can't see him as Mark, whom I've always thought of as a more naive and innocent character. I can't really see him as Roger, who's supposed to be the failed 'pretty boy front man' (don't get me wrong, he's a handsome devil; but that's what he is, handsome. Not pretty or cute, but very handsome.) Angel, hmmm...he could squeal the high notes like he did in Taboo, that be cool!

[Ariella]

Posted: 8/22/07 at 11:13pm

I tend to associate Mark with a slightly more nasal voice. Not in a bad way at all, just something about the tone. Raul has an earthier voice, and there is that vibrato to take into account. In tone, he's more of a Roger-type and he has that incredible intensity, but I still can't picture him in the part.

Angel would be an adventure. Leave it at that.

[*brina-doll*]

Posted: 8/22/07 at 11:51pm

It be a total field day I'll give you that

[Craww]

Posted: 8/23/07 at 12:10am

I tend to associate Mark with a slightly more nasal voice.

Raul tends to sound quite different from project to project, and even from song to song, but I've definitely heard the nasal aspect to his voice. Probably most notably in TTB. There's a certain line delivery in No More that's downright Rappian.

If Raul was gonna do the show I'd probably have to put him in as Mark. Wouldn't work on Broadway, but could have worked quite well for some "gritty" version of the movie.

[misschung]

Posted: 8/23/07 at 2:29am

I can't find that original script anywhere. I thought it was earlier than 2004, no? Hmm, I guess I'll look tomorrow

Updated On: 8/23/07 at 02:29 AM

[keen on kean]

Posted: 8/25/07 at 11:22pm

Does anyone know if Raul attended the BC/EFA flea market last year? Or if he might this year?

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 8/25/07 at 11:23pm

I get the years all mixed up, but he's often at the autograph table.

[Fantabulous428]

Posted: 8/25/07 at 11:26pm

I don't remember him being there last year.

[misschung]

Posted: 8/25/07 at 11:32pm

I hope he goes this year

[humbugfoto]

Posted: 8/26/07 at 3:17pm

Stumbled across this interesting little factoid in a biography of Fidel Castro:



I'm sure that's got to be Raúl's grandfather. I seem to recall reading somewhere that Raúl said his father came to the US in 1966, so it fits.

Just one of those stray bits of trivia you find at odd hours of the day...or night.

[Ariella]

Posted: 8/26/07 at 4:00pm

Wow! That does seem to fit in with what Raul described in his Chatterbox interview.

[sweetestsiren]

Posted: 8/26/07 at 4:23pm

Wow, it does fit! Fascinating. Raul's grandfather was an engineer, I think, so that seems to fit with the part about him being the chief expert on sugar production. Updated On: 8/26/07 at 04:23 PM

[misschung]

Posted: 8/26/07 at 4:43pm

Very interesting, thanks for sharing!

[obsessedjb]

Posted: 8/26/07 at 11:58pm

so I finally got my hands on a copy of "The Homecoming" but I passed out before I finished it.It's....interesting to say the least so far.

[misschung]

Posted: 8/27/07 at 12:15am

It is. Now I wish I had broken down and bought a copy, because there's certain scenes that I want to go back to. Maybe I'll look for a cheap copy on amazon or alibris

[humbugfoto]

Posted: 8/27/07 at 12:31am

Don't forget ebay - I got a copy for a dollar plus shipping.

[humbugfoto]

Posted: 8/27/07 at 6:34pm

On that site that shall not be named, some kind, generous soul has just posted Raúl's speech from the final performance of Company.

Updated On: 8/27/07 at 06:34 PM

[sweetestsiren]

Posted: 8/27/07 at 7:15pm

Elphie, gertrudejessalynn and I were sitting on either side of the person filming. Lucky that we were far from averse to it.

I really loved the speech. I remember thinking that it was a bit pretentious but extremely heartfelt and borne out of a genuine love for the show and the art form. Updated On: 8/27/07 at 07:15 PM

[humbugfoto]

Posted: 8/27/07 at 8:24pm

LOL! Someone has quite the appreciative pair of lungs!

Perhaps a bit pretentious, yes, but I don't think Raúl has ever had to do that before, has he? Since neither Sondheim or Doyle were available (I'm assuming about Doyle) I guess Raúl was the...default speaker. And yes, it was very clear how genuine his feelings were, and how deep they ran, especially at the end when he got so passionate about the future of Broadway.

I also found myself wondering if at least some of what he said could have been from....his Tony speech.

[sweetestsiren]

Posted: 8/27/07 at 8:31pm

Haha, I know! That sounds like mostly Rachael, but I'm in there, too. Weird to think about.

Raul said a few words after the closing show of Chitty, but this was obviously a much bigger deal to him. I found myself thinking that we surely got a bit of his would-be Tony speech, too.

[antiandrewx]

Posted: 8/27/07 at 8:49pm

I agree that it felt like a little but of a Tony speech. It was nice that he could just say what he wanted to say and have there be no cutoff music or anything like that.

[misschung]

Posted: 8/28/07 at 2:10am

You guys aren't the first I've heard say that his speech at Company's closing was like the Tony speech he never gave. I really liked what he said though, and I didn't think it was "too much." I can't even watch that right now though, I've had enough excitement for one night, lol. I thought it was really great how he included the whole cast in his words and really credited them.