The Raúl E. Esparza "Spread the Love" Thread, Part Four- Page 17

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 5/6/08 at 11:09pm

It was a completely different show in New York from what you see on that DVD. And not in a good way.

misschung, it was one of the recent audio interviews he did. Either Seth's or the Playbill Radio one, I guess? But probably the latter.

I'm kind of amazed at the idea of a working pay phone in New York City.

... why? =P

[misschung]

Posted: 5/6/08 at 11:12pm

After I left my phone on the train, I had a period of about a week where I had to use payphones again. I forgot how skanky it feels. In Europe, for some reason, it seems like payphones are cleaner? I don't know why.

I remember when you always had to carry change to make calls from a payphone, like to get picked up from the movies and such. The good old days..

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 5/6/08 at 11:20pm

They're also just better-looking.

Payphones remind me of high school. We weren't allowed to use cell phones during the day, so if we had to call home or something, we were required to use the payphones.

[ElphieDefiesGravity]

Posted: 5/7/08 at 12:18am

Emcee, what does he say about that Tuesday performance? I know that's one thing I'LL never forget. I was literally looking up his nostrils.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 5/7/08 at 12:29am

He basically just explains what happened after Being Alive, with the usual applause becoming that huge ovation, and he says that it was such an outpouring of love from the audience, etc. I think I have the interview saved someplace... I'll find it and send it to you tomorrow.

Updated On: 5/7/08 at 12:29 AM

[ElphieDefiesGravity]

Posted: 5/7/08 at 12:41am

Thanks.

[misschung]

Posted: 5/7/08 at 8:58am

"I was literally looking up his nostrils."

Nice

[sweetestsiren]

Posted: 5/7/08 at 9:05am

Wow, Raul was in good company amongst the actors Sondheim specifically mentioned wanting to write for (the others being Bernadette Peters, Angela Lansbury, Mandy Patinkin, and Donna Murphy). Good for him.

Thanks for the HQ version of that picture, Craww!

[humbugfoto]

Posted: 5/7/08 at 11:54am

Raul's comment about Company performance the Tuesday after the Tony Awards was from the Playbill Center Stage interview done in March. Here's what he had to say:

“And also the audience in New York was so, so thrillingly supportive, by the time we finished the show, by the time we finished the run of the show…I’ve never experienced anything quite like it. I mean, the day after the Tony Awards, our first performance back, wasn’t a…I don’t think it was a particularly great show on our part, we were all a little shell-shocked. We got the Tony Award and then they announced we were closing two days later. And, um, so we’re all sort of going through it, the audience that was there was very supportive of us, and we finished – we got to Being Alive, and I don’t know that it was any better than any other time we’ve done Being Alive, but it had a certain kind of fire to it. We finished it, and the audience begins to clap. They clapped for, I’d say about thirty seconds, and I remember standing there, and there’s some sort of real power coming from them, and then, um, I kinda glanced down at the first row, and when I glanced at the first row the entire theatre rose to their feet. And they gave us a standing ovation for two and a half minutes. And….the…we just wept, the whole cast. I started crying, the whole cast was crying, we couldn’t get through our lines. There was just this outpouring of…of…love coming to us from the New York audience that, I don’t think I’ll ever experience that again. I really don’t.”

(If you have the interview, it's just past 18 minutes)

Updated On: 5/7/08 at 11:54 AM

[keen on kean]

Posted: 5/7/08 at 12:12pm

I get chills just reading this.

[LePetiteFromage]

Posted: 5/7/08 at 12:17pm

Updated On: 1/23/09 at 12:17 PM

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 5/7/08 at 12:27pm

Yes, exactly. It was one of those moments you always hear theater people talk about, but so rarely experience that you kind of wonder if they're actually real, or just urban legends. I had heard a lot of people talk about how electrifying the post-Tony performances are for shows that win big awards, so as soon as Company won best revival, I knew I was going that day. But I was so not prepared!

I went to the stage door that night with Elphie and her sister who were here from out of town, and I saw Raul, but just didn't know what to say to him after that. I overheard people go up to him and give their condolences about the award or whatever, which seemed sort of uncomfortable. I guess having been in the front row for that performance, it was said all the same.

Updated On: 5/7/08 at 12:27 PM

[bestinshow2]

Posted: 5/7/08 at 12:31pm

Seriously. There is nothing better than being at one of those shows where it just becomes more than a show. The synergy of a live performance is unparalleled.

Word.

Updated On: 5/7/08 at 12:31 PM

[Perfectly Marvelous]

Posted: 5/8/08 at 9:25am

I wish I could have been there at that show... wow. Seriously...wow.
And….the…we just wept, the whole cast. I started crying, the whole cast was crying, we couldn’t get through our lines.
That's the best part of being in a show like Company - or any show for that matter - when the actors get so much love and respect, that they - as a performer - cannot comprehend it. It overwhelms them. I think that's truly wonderful.
















On an unrelated note, Raul appeared in a dream of mine last night. He picked my mother and I up from an airport (or what appeared to be an airport) and drove us back to our house. I can't remember what my mother or what I was wearing, but I do recall Raul had a longsleeve blue button down shirt, black pants, black dress shoes and was sporting a beard (much like Alfredo's in Pushing Daisies).

[obsessedjb]

Posted: 5/12/08 at 3:24pm

Totally not related to this but, I saw him again today. He's growing out his hair and its now about two to three inches away from his shoulders (probably shorter than that). He had the most intense look on his face ever so I didn't want to say anything.

Elizabeth Stanley was also in the same Pax. It was so good seeing her again.

[keen on kean]

Posted: 5/12/08 at 3:27pm

Time for another round of BEING INTENSE. Workshop performances of LEAP OF FAITH on Thursday and Friday - hope it goes well for everybody! I assume the longer hair goes with the Nightengale character.

[bestinshow2]

Posted: 5/12/08 at 4:29pm

LEAP doesn't actually start until next year, right? So right now isn't Pushing Daisies' Alfredo the first upcoming character look he'll have to adapt to (unless 25/8 happens before PD, if at all)?

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 5/12/08 at 4:36pm

Maybe he's just being lazy.

I mean, dedicated as he may be, who really goes all out physically for a workshop that only a comparable handful of people are going to see?

[misschung]

Posted: 5/12/08 at 7:14pm

You never know with Raul, I suppose.

Maybe the hair got jealous while he was growing out the sideburns during The Homecoming, and now he's giving it its own chance.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 5/12/08 at 7:30pm

Equal opportunity hair grower! He'd better add that to his resume.

[misschung]

Posted: 5/12/08 at 7:48pm

I was going to say something, but I'm not

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 5/12/08 at 7:49pm

Whatever, we all know what you're thinking anyway.

Updated On: 5/12/08 at 07:49 PM

[sweetestsiren]

Posted: 5/12/08 at 7:51pm

I really wish that Pushing Daisies were returning sooner than next season. As it stands now, my TV schedule is pretty sad other than NBC's Thursday night comedies and, sometimes, Lost. I miss that weekly dose dose of darkly quirky, good-natured, pop culture-referency whimsy.

[keen on kean]

Posted: 5/12/08 at 8:13pm

Workshops are small - but the attendees may have big checkbooks.

Really looking forward to May 20th - that's the top of my list at the moment.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 5/12/08 at 9:12pm

... and the leading man's hair is going to have bearing on whether or not an investor wants in?

This is the first time the show has been on its feet, I believe, so if that's the case, there are way more important things than an authentic look at this point.

When is PD back? October-ish? I'm sad all the shows that have recently come back post-strike are ending their seasons soon. We were just getting back into it! What am I going to watch in the summer?

Updated On: 5/12/08 at 09:12 PM