The Official Raúl E. Esparza "Spread the Love" Thread, Part 3- Page 6

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 5/25/07 at 11:19am

If I were him, I'd have had a few by now!

[jenna2]

Posted: 5/25/07 at 12:57pm

I agree Emcee! I'd be smoking like a chimney by now!

My TABOO cd came in this morning. I've been listening to it on loop at work ever since. (Thanks you guys for recommending it!) I can kind of see how the show didn't catch on, but it really is a beautiful album.

Updated On: 5/25/07 at 12:57 PM

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 5/25/07 at 1:02pm

I loved the show -- it was a complete mess, but the score was so beautiful that it redeemed a lot of the problems. It could have been great, though.

[LionessInWinter]

Posted: 5/25/07 at 1:04pm

Ha! Yeah, sorry, I wasn't even thinking of that context, but I can definitely see why you thought that. I'd forgotten he smoked actually, but didn't realize he quit. I hope that he sticks to it.

Keen, how did you know it was Journey's End? Did you know he was going to be there?
Anyway...I thought it was powerful, but I wasn't so profoundly moved as many other people seem to have been, though it did affect me more after I thought about it some more the next day. I did feel like I was in there with them, but it wasn't hard to as I was in the 4th row, middle edge of left orchestra.
Acting was top notch, and I could definitely see more noms for the cast, esp for Dancy, in a year with a weaker set of candidates. Boyd Gaines really got to me, esp when he was writing his goodbye letter and took off his ring.

Set, lighting, and especially sound design were fantastic. At the end, if I closed my eyes, I'd have sworn we were being bombed. It did make me think about and really give some small identification of what the soldiers in Iraq must deal with, and that made me sad. The curtain call was beautiful, but rather painful as I'm kind of sensitive to bright light, but that was worse since it had been so incredibly dark for the rest of the time. I was disappointed in a couple of things plotwise, but I won't go on about that here.
Sorry, didn't mean to go on so much about Journey's End in Raul's thread. Shoulda put it elsewhere.

I could see, Emcee, how it would be a different experience for you in the balcony and feeling so tired. I'd probably have fallen asleep with that lighting if I was too tired and not feeling well.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 5/25/07 at 1:19pm

I completely agree about the acting. They were all wonderful. The sound design is brilliant. Afterwards, I was like "that was SO COOL."

[antiandrewx]

Posted: 5/25/07 at 4:53pm

http://www.broadway.com/Gen/Buzz_Video.aspx?ci=548814

Awww

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 5/25/07 at 4:55pm

Ooh, they added pics too.

http://www.broadway.com/Gen/Buzz_Photo_Op.aspx?ci=548726

[Auggie27]

Posted: 5/25/07 at 5:09pm

I'm going back tomorrow afternoon (Sat) for the first time since November, with out of towners. Hope the whole cast is in, with the exception of Amy. I'd like to see the understudy, whom many posters at both boards adored in previews. I found Heather too something -- almost maternal. Accomplished, but miscast.

[orangeskittles]

Posted: 5/25/07 at 5:11pm

but because the lighting in JE is so sparse and dark, I had a really hard time seeing the actors' faces... which I think made me feel too distanced from it all.
The husband of one of my professors did lighting design and he said the bare minimum job is to light the actors. If audiences can't see the actors saying the lines, they are separated from the performance, because it doesn't feel as real; it's more like a book on tape than a live performance. I mean, there's a difference between mood lighting and just...dark.

That video is so hilarious for all the wrong reasons. And the accompanying photo op. You can take your wife to all the events in the world, but a picture is worth a thousand words:

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 5/25/07 at 5:13pm

That was the problem with the lighting; it may have been incredibly realistic, but... what happens when realism is impractical?

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 5/25/07 at 5:15pm

Have a good time, Auggie!!

Posted: 5/25/07 at 5:19pm

I'm sure this isn't entirely appropriate, but he is lisping so badly in that video. Very nicely done video, though. You could definitely sense that he was truly humbled. Still can't say that the portrait truly looks like him (or even a caricature of him), though. Maybe that's what he meant in saying that it looked like his father multiple times.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 5/25/07 at 5:21pm

It's interesting that the Sardi's guy explains why they've gone from caricatures to portraits, sort of.

Okay, I'm sorry, I love him, but when/if/whatever Raul wins the Tony, his head is going to extend to MARS. This video was refreshing because he really does seem humbled, as opposed to that smug "I'm 'humbled' because I'm supposed to be" thing you get occasionally.

[orangeskittles]

Posted: 5/25/07 at 5:30pm

Still, some parts totally seemed like he was playing to the camera. Like when he makes "I can my own door" comment to the driver at the beginning. It just seemed like "Awww, shucks, I'm just a humble boy from the country". For god's sake, I've seen his driver open the door, shut the door, take his backpack off him to put in the car, hold an umbrella, and throw away Raul's garbage for him, with Raul completely oblivious to the effort for the past 8 months. It's a bit coincidental that he finally decides to comment on the absurdity of having his own manservant when he's on camera.

Updated On: 5/25/07 at 05:30 PM

[jenna2]

Posted: 5/25/07 at 5:38pm

Damn I wish I had a manservant...

I also wish I could watch videos at work, so I could know what you guys are talking about...

[keen on kean]

Posted: 5/25/07 at 5:43pm

Orange - The man has probably had to answer the same questions ten thousand times in the last six weeks, especially since he is so generous in making appearances to try to help COMPANY (in the absence of any real publicity, for whatever reason). AND personal assistants can be so dedicated and/or well trained at theijobs that they anticipate helping with things that the person may not even want help with. Raul may seem oblivious to you but I have never seen him as anything but gracious with his time. But we all tend to see what we want to see.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 5/25/07 at 5:48pm

His appearances ARE the publicity. Whether he voluntarily goes, I suppose, is debatable, since the press agents pretty much own these actors' schedules. Sending him all over the planet, with the absence of television press or advertisting, is arguably all they're doing. And yeah, he's great about dealing with publicity -- I think it's an acquired talent -- but I'm gonna attest to the oblivion. Not always, or even generally in that particular context, but sometimes.

Anyway, he looks good in the OCC Award pictures.

Updated On: 5/25/07 at 05:48 PM

[jenna2]

Posted: 5/25/07 at 5:53pm

Yay! I can look at pictures at work!

Boy, he does have an assortment of shiny ties, doesn't he?

[keen on kean]

Posted: 5/25/07 at 6:00pm

Maybe instead of a personal assistant he needs a wardrobe consult!

[jenna2]

Posted: 5/25/07 at 6:05pm

HaHa! ^

I like it though. I think men should wear incredibly shiny, brightly coloured, oddly patterned ties as often as possible.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 5/25/07 at 6:07pm

Someone needs to take that jacket away from him.

Posted: 5/25/07 at 6:10pm

I've seen his driver open the door, shut the door, take his backpack off him to put in the car, hold an umbrella, and throw away Raul's garbage for him, with Raul completely oblivious to the effort for the past 8 months.

Hah - I know I've mentioned this so many times before, but my personal favorite was when Raul simply extended his arm, soda cup in hand, out of the open door and waited for the driver/assistant to take the cup and dispose of it a couple feet away.

[jenna2]

Posted: 5/25/07 at 6:13pm

Which jacket? The hideous yellow one?

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 5/25/07 at 6:17pm

Yeah, that one.

lol, classic "princess Raul" moment.

[orangeskittles]

Posted: 5/25/07 at 7:11pm

I don't see what him answering the same questions has to do with anything; he wasn't interviewed in this. And I don't see what the current publicity appearances has to do with his behavior over the past year.

I've been a fan of Raul's for years and I know he's an amazing actor and can be very friendly at the stagedoor. I'm also realistic enough to realize that the 5 minutes at the stagedoor, or the the happy Broadway.com video for personal publicity is not necessarily the real Raul. I'm not going to act like he has no flaws just because a Tony-nominated actor can act gracious when everyone is kissing his ass and telling him how great he is. He's not as gracious when he pulls out of obligations at the last minute with no explanation after months of making people jump through hoops to meet his demands or uses his family, friends and colleagues as tools for his own personal publicity.

I've never had a bad experience with him personally, but I'm not deluded enough by the facade to proclaim him the "nicest person ever," as others have on this thread. Maybe I'm not the only person that's seeing only what they want to see and not the reality.