The Official Raúl E. Esparza "Spread the Love" Thread, part two — Page 49

So glad you enjoyed the performance. And I'm sorry for his mood. I can't imagine how much doing that show would take out of someone, but I'm sure it's exhausting. And he has definitaely admitted that his work has effects his mood.

I'm so glad he's loved working with John Doyle. Also not a surprise. I think my new dream is working with this man. Especially because everyone speaks so highly of him.

I have to ask...was there any cool props a la baby coffin-esque?

---

My mom keeps getting on my case about it. She's like "I don't understand why you like him, he's not even that nice to you girls," or "you flew ALL THE WAY out here, he should be more appreciative." He knew. I think he appreciated it, and showed it in his own weird Raul way. She just sort of watched us interact with him from the sidelines, so she didn't see his face or hear him speak. Yeah, he was spacey, but he was still nice and he was flattered, I believe that. I keep telling her that he's usually much nicer than that, but rarely all that warm and fuzzy with his fans, even though he's usually much sweeter. And honestly, that's just the way he is. It's just kind of a damper because I loved the performance, was kind of disappointed by him, won't let that get to me, and she won't shut up about it. THAT'S not gonna make her like him any better. I recognize that that's how he is, and I'm fine with it. I like him 'cause he's brilliant, not because he's nice all the time. And he was certainly not not nice. Just didn't want to hang around, clearly.

Chrys, they have a pillar, a couple of stools and a piano for the main set pieces. I guess I'd *sort of* compare the piano to the coffin. Raul stands on it a lot, people sit on it, it kind of doubles as a bed (the love scene before Barcelona is only implied with a KILLER makeout scene), etc.

wrq, I guess you read my review. I wrote about the concept as a whole. I'm not sure what else you want to know... they were there, they were good, they didn't add anything for me, but they didn't take anything away. They were all good, but none brilliant, as instrumentalists.

And again, about his mood, I don't think it's a personal thing, you know? He was certainly up front and honest with us, which is something I don't often expect of him. Yeah, I'm disappointed, but I know I'll see him again, he gave a knock-out performance, and I knew ahead of time that him being kinda out of it was definitely a possibility -- I was disappointed, but not exactly shocked. I'm not gonna go hate him now. :)

---

Updated On: 3/18/06 at 09:17 AM

Glad you had fun Em, sorry your mom won't leave it alone.

---

To be perfectly honest, this is the ONLY less-than-great experience I've ever had with him, and it wasn't bad by any measure. He was sweet, just not all there. He wasn't bitchy or anything, which we all KNOW he can be. I think my mom probably wanted him to like, scoop me up in his arms and give me a big bear hug for flying several hundred miles for him. I think it would be difficult to explain to her that I didn't make the trip for him. I didn't fly out there to tug on his sleeve and be like "hey, Raul. I'm here. I flew here to see you. Love me." I made the trip to see him perform, not to get anything from him for it. He honestly seemed preoccupied and exhausted, not unfriendly.

He was just really up-front about his feelings about the show, about Chitty, illegalvideosandsuch, etc. He's usually quieter than that. He was interested, but not very animated, if that makes sense. Honestly, I think he can sort of take it or leave it with the whole fan thing -- if people want to talk to him and take pictures, etc, fine. If not, that's okay, too. He said more than once how flattered he was. That's all I could ask for.

I'll have to look in the playbill thing when I unpack, but I don't think they list the instrumentation. I wasn't sitting all that close, and to tell you the truth, Raul is on stage for 95% of that show -- I couldn't take my eyes off of him, so for those two reasons, I don't think I can accurately tell you who played what.

btw, my mother commented on Raul's FEET halfway through intermission. She was like "wow, he has really big feet for such a small guy." I almost choked.

---

Ah okay. Heh, the same production I wouldn't be able to take my eyes off the instruments, and you wouldn't be able to take your eyes off Raul :-P

No, as I was joking around in my earlier post, I wasn't even referring to people having a bad experience, just moreso the "less than great" experiences like this one that people bitch about if they're not amazingly great.

Well, I think he seemed really upfront and honest about Symphony Space in terms of both issues, especially the latter (again thank goodness the first time I met him he laughed about it).

No instrumentation in the playbill? That's weird. I should send a formal complaint. Well I see a flute in the picture below. Happen to remember a clarinet at all?

Odd that she would notice his feet if you weren't sitting that close...

---

Em, honestly, I think you're taking all of this so well. Personally, I'd be pissed off as hell if I traveled from NYC to Cincy and the man wasn't 100% sweet. I know, I know, he's under no true obligation to be extremely personable, but if I were in his position, I'd make sure that I was an absolute sweetheart to someone who presumably spent a lot of money to come see me perform miles away in regional theatre. Regardless if it's his in his personality to be moody at times, I think the very least he could have done was smile and put on a happy face for people who so obviously admire him THAT much.

::awaits flames::

Props to you, though, for feeling the way you do. You're a hell of a lot more mature than I am.

I think the fact that I know they've been rehearsing day in and day out also makes it more excusable. They're all tired, understandably so.

I hestitate to say it, but I think his take on fandom is that he just doesn't care all that much what he's "supposed" to do. That's just the way he is; he has far more important things on his mind than which teenaged girls he should be nice to.

And again, he wasn't bitchy or ungrateful or anything like that. He just wasn't as warm and bubbly as I've seen him in the past. But I guess now I'm on the recieving end of the kinds of experiences that people have once as their ONLY experience with an actor -- the kind that make people go "ew, he's so mean." I know he's not, he was just having an off day. And he really wasn't that bad. He just wasn't all smiles and giggles and... you know, wrist-flippy. I'm disappointed, but he wasn't not nice enough to make me mad at him. He was still very kind.

wrq -- oboe was there.

That reminds me, though. I thought he was going to be a very flambuoyant Bobby, like he just can't un-limp his wrists. He has them under SUCH control. I thought they'd be everywhere. He was subtle, and... not exactly butch, but so... well, playboy.

Edited for clarity.

---

Updated On: 3/18/06 at 04:56 PM

ROTFL about the wrist comment.

I think the "supposed to do" factor plays out on both ends. At the same time, at Symphony Space, though I was encouraging you guys to approach him while in his seat, I don't know if I would have done so myself--I don't feel comfortable being a "fan" in a dominion other than where fans are supposed to be (stage doors, etc). But when I looked and came over, and he spent quite a bit of time chatting with you/us in a situation I wouldn't say an actor is "supposed to do." I mean even to give a little smile and say thanks okay, but certainly not to start chatting for a while, while sitting in the audience.

It's true, you really should never judge by just one experience.

---

Updated On: 3/18/06 at 05:01 PM

Siamese, when it comes to stage dooring and meeting/interacting with actors, I've learned the best thing you can do is expect NOTHING. Easier said than done of course. But if you really can ingrain that in your head, you're never disappointed, and you usually are pleasantly surprised, sometimes even extremely pleasantly suprised.

---

Sorry to break the conversation going on, but LOOK!

---

Don't sound so surprised, Mandi. :P

That's interesting about him being convincing as the playboy, Em. I had wondered about that a little.

He looks so incredibly beautiful. I don't know how to describe it, but he's very striking in black, and you can even see his eyes pop in the WAY back of this theatre (which, g, is bigger than it looks). He's so charming and sexy and just... gah. Absolutely stunning.

NEW AVATAR!

He's so convincing as the playboy; not too butch, very New York, and obviously loves women. The scene before Barcelona is so hot and so utterly convincing.

I think... hm. I'm not thrilled with how the meeting went, but on a slightly separate note, it was nice to be a little bit more comfortable around him. We shook hands, and it was pretty easy to talk to him this time, maybe because I wasn't alone, and because it wasn't chaotic, or it was just... out of normal location... I don't really know why. He didn't seem like he was trying to bolt or stop conversation, or anything. Like, I just saw my family, and my brother asked if we met Raul. My mom goes "yeah, but Raul was NOT interested in talking to THEM." And it bugs me because she missed the part where he WAS interested and then sort of got mobbed. When he got mobbed was when he started looking antsy. If he really was in a sh*tty mood, he wouldn't have spoken with us at all. Thing is, even when he's being sweet and swishy, he's never all there. His eyes wander. It's just the way he is. He acts funny. I guess I know not to take it personally, and that I can take to heart his words; he's so disgustingly, beautifully articulate. You can tell the difference between Raul saying thank you and meaning it from his heart and Raul saying thank you to shut you up -- he's not a hider.

So, yeah, it could've gone better, but it wasn't a total lost cause. He knows what we did, and he was gracious. Just not totally enthused. Distant... I guess is a good word. Cuddly as ever, for what it's worth, though.

HAVE FUN, g!

---

Updated On: 3/18/06 at 06:38 PM

NIAAAA!!!!!! *hug*

---